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Biomedical subjects

A Ardizzi

Publications and source records attributed to A Ardizzi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Dexfentluramine in the treatment of juvenile obesity.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of dexfenfluramine (dF) for reducing cardiovascular risk factors and improving compliance towards diet in a group of young patients hospitalized for essential obesity of high degree (BMI > or = 35). METHODS: 103 adolescents (mean age 15.4 +/- 0.2) participated in a nine-week randomized double-blind study of dF (15 mg bid) versus placebo. All patients received a VLCD (2,512 kJ/day = 600 kcal/day) for two months. In basal conditions, and after 30 and 60 days of treatment, anthropometric variables (height, weight, BMI, and W/H) and cardiovascular risk factors (blood glucose concentration, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic and diastolic blood pressure) were monitored. Modifications in hunger and satiety were also assessed. RESULTS: During the treatment period, both the dF group and the placebo group presented a similar pattern of weight loss (BMI = dF: 36.7 +/- 0.5 vs 32.5 +/- 0.4 vs 30.1 +/- 0.4; placebo: 37.0 +/- 0.6 vs 33.1 +/- 0.5 vs 30.8 +/- 0.5). No important side-effects were recorded in either group. Blood pressure and metabolic markers decreased significantly in both groups. Earlier reductions in total cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure in dF-treated subjects were the only significant differences observed as compared to the patients receiving placebo (day 30 = total cholesterol: 120 +/- 2 (dF) vs 132 +/- 3 (placebo) mg/dI; p < 0.005; diastolic blood pressure: 73 +/- 1 (dF) vs 77 +/- 1 (placebo) mmHg; p < 0.01). However, after 60 days, these values were similar in the two groups. As far as non-parametric data are concerned, dF determined a reduction in hunger and an increase in satiety in a significantly higher number of subjects than did the placebo, not only after 30 days of treatment (92.8% vs 55.3% and 92.8% vs 45.5%, respectively; p < 0.0001), but also after two months of treatment (97.8% vs 67.4% and 97.8% vs 45.8%, respectively; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that dF represents a useful support in the treatment of juvenile obesity and might ensure a better individual compliance towards restrictive diets, particularly in the initial "critical" stages, in the absence of important side-effects.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1996

[Epidemiology of childhood obesity: prevalence in North-West Italy].

Childhood obesity is currently the most important form of malnutrition in populations with a high socioeconomic status. In Italy the prevalence of this pathology increases steadily every year with differing percentages in the various regions. This paper aims to contribute to epidemiological studies on childhood obesity by analysing the prevalence of this disorder in a relatively large area of north-western Italy. The study examined the childhood population of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (Piedmont) (12,174 subjects, of which 6,288 males and 5,886 females) aged between 6 and 15 years old. The prevalence of obesity was 9.88% (51.58% in males and 48.22% in females); males showed a peak of prevalence (16.53%) between 13 and 14 years old and females between 8 and 9 (16%). The analysis of our data highlights the importance of this problem in the area studied.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[Effect of sex on the increase of GH induced by galanin, alone or in combination with GHRH with or without pyridostigmine in pubescent subjects].

Growth hormone response to galanin (GAL) and growth hormone releasing hormone have been demonstrated to be higher in females than in males, and moreover the cholinergic system appears to be able to enhance them. On the basis of this presumption, we evaluated the GH response (expressed as area under the curve: AUC-GH) to galanin (GAL, 10 mg/kg i.v.) or GHRH (1 mg/kg i.v.) either alone or associated together and with pyridostigmine (PD, 60 mg p.o.), and to saline infusion as a control, in 5 males and 5 females, in puberty, aged 16 +/- 0.4 years old (mean +/- SD). In females tests were performed during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. GAL alone cannot provoke a response from GH unless associated with GHRH. The contemporary administration of PD does not increase the extent of the response. The latter did not differ between sexes. The GHRH-GAL association induced a higher response in GH compared to GAL alone and GAL-PD, without any differences between the sexes. Lastly, the combination GHRH-GAL-PD induced responses that were comparable to GHRH and GAL alone. Therefore GAL does not act alone but enhances the effect of GHRH and the cholinergic system appears to be involved as a modulator. Moreover, the effect of GAL is comparable in both sexes.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1995

Thyroid-stimulating hormone and prolactin responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone in juvenile obesity before and after hypocaloric diet.

This study was performed on 36 obese subjects aged 8.5-17.4 yr, 14 boys and 22 girls (prepubertal: 5 boys and 5 girls [stage I, according to Tanner]; BMI: 35.5 +/- 1.4 [mean +/- SEM] and 35 +/- 1.3 respectively; pubertal: 9 boys and 17 girls [stage IV-V]; BMI: 36.2 +/- 1.8 and 36 +/- 1.5 respectively) before and after 8 weeks of a 1000 kCal/day diet. The responses of serum TSH and PRL to TRH (200 micrograms iv as a bolus) were evaluated as Area Under the Curve (AUC) and net increase in respect to basal values (delta TSH and delta PRL). Serum T4, fT4 and rT3 were assayed at the baseline and T3 and fT3 at the baseline and 120' after TRH injection. A similar analysis was performed on 14 age- and sex-matched lean subjects as controls. In females at baseline fT4 serum levels were greater than controls and were significantly reduced after weight loss; rT3 increased after weight loss in the whole study group. In patients of both sexes the PRL peak after TRH injection was earlier but not greater (15') than in controls (30'). After weight loss PRL peak after TRH was found at 30' (as controls) in females only. Taking into consideration the stage of pubertal development, the results were the following: a) in puberal girls, after weight loss, TSH and PRL peaks after TRH were delayed with respect to baseline and to the other considered subgroups; b) in prepubertal girls TSH and PRL peaks, delta TSH, delta PRL, AUC-TSH and AUC-PRL were blunted with respect to pubertal ones; c) the other considered variables were unchanged after the period of caloric deprivation. No correlation between BMI and the AUC of TSH and PRL was found. These data suggest that thyroid function is substantially normal in adolescent obese subjects and not influenced by a prolonged period of caloric restriction, even though a reduced hypothalamic dopaminergic tone on pituitary thyreotrophs and lactotrophs could cause subtle alterations on TSH and PRL release, partially influenced by gender and sexual development.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Blood prolactin patterns in hepatic cirrhosis].

Variations in PRL secretion were observed during chronic hepatic disorders. The aim of our study was to evaluate the behaviour of PRL in patients affected by hepatic cirrhosis. 6 patients (4 males and 2 females) were studied and matched with a group of healthy controls. In all subjects PRL values were evaluated in basal conditions and after TRH stimulation. The results obtained showed higher basal levels of PRL, together with higher and more prolonged TRH responses in patients with hepatopathies than in controls (p < 0.01). These abnormalities in PRL secretion during hepatic cirrhosis could be due to alterations of neurotransmitters at central level.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Melatonin response to TRH in prepubertal and pubertal healthy subjects.

The current study was carried out to evaluate the influence of thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH) on melatonin secretion in healthy subjects. The study included 31 subjects of both sexes (prepubertal subjects: 15; pubertal subjects: 16). They were treated with TRH (0.2 mg i.v. as a bolus) with blood samples being collected at 0, 20, 60, 120, 180 min. after hormone administration; the results were compared with those of subjects infused with saline only. Serum levels of melatonin were measured with a double antibody RIA method. A significant increase in melatonin levels after TRH was seen only in the prepubertal females, with a peak at 120 min. On the contrary, no significant melatonin changes were seen in the prepubertal males or in either pubertal males and females. These results suggest the existence of sex- and age-related differences in melatonin responses to TRH in humans.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

[Social integration in adulthood in a group of subjects with Turner syndrome].

The aim of the present study was to evaluate social integration in adulthood in a group of 48 subjects with Turner's syndrome. This was done by asking subjects to fill in a multi-choice questionnaire concerning their personal, social and working situation. The mean age (+/- SD) of the group was 24.8 +/- 1 and the reported stature was 142.2 +/- 1.4. The results obtained were compared with those formulated by ISTAT in 1990 for the entire Italian population. As far as regards education it was seen that 100% of subjects had completed primary school, 52% had attended secondary school, 29% had been to high school and 6% had attended university. It was therefore concluded that educational status, at least in this group, was higher than that of the Italian population in general. The cultural level of these subjects meant that most had found appropriate employment and only 6% were unemployed. 90% of the subjects were unmarried and only 5 were married (10%); the majority of those unmarried lived with their parents (83%). This underlines a prolonged dependence on the family nucleus and probable disorders regarding the subjects' own sexual identity and affective capacities. Among the parameters examined no substantial differences were found between subjects with a 45,X karyotype and those with chromosomic mosaicism. In the light of these findings it is apparent that efficacious medical and psychological strategies should be developed to enable a greater realization of interpersonal relations in the familial and social field.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Melatonin secretion in Klinefelter's syndrome].

It has been observed that the pineal gland seems to modulate diencephalic neuroendocrine activity through its principal hormone, melatonin. In animals, melatonin inhibits the secretion and release of hypophyseal gonadotropins, probably by inhibiting hypothalamic releasing factors; in man, on the contrary, the administration of LHRH seems to have a stimulating effect on melatonin serum levels. In the light of this, in pathologies characterised by an imbalance in the hypothalamus-hypophyseal-gonad axis, it is possible to hypothesise variations in the secretion of melatonin and/or in its circadian fluctuations. In order to clarify further the relationship between the epiphysis and the hypothalamus-hypophyseal axis, the present study evaluated the pattern of melatonin secretion in a group of 16 patients with Klinefelter's syndrome. The circadian rhythm of melatonin secretion was determined from venous blood samples taken at 9 am, 1 pm, 5 pm, 9 pm, 1 am and 5 am; the same protocol was also followed in two control groups of respectively prepuberal and puberal healthy subjects. During the night samples were taken as rapidly as possible, using a red light source in order to not interfere with melatonin secretion. All of the examinations were performed during the winter period. Serum levels of melatonin were determined, after extractions with diethylether, by means of a double antibody RIA using commercially available kits (Bioscience Product--The Netherlands). Intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were respectively 3% and 8%. The data are reported as mean values +/- SD; the results were analysed by means of Student's test for unpaired data and analysis of variance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[The effect of GH on erythropoiesis in vivo].

It has been demonstrated that the direct and/or indirect stimulation of hematopoiesis is one of the effects of the growth hormone (GH) in vitro. In order to study the effect of GH on erythropoiesis in vivo, the variation of hemochrome in a group of 8 subjects with GH deficiency (GHD) were monitored during a substitutive therapy with biosynthetic GH (rhGH) at dose of 0.4 U/kg/week. Hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Ht), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), number of red blood cells (RBC) were analysed in all subjects at the beginning and after 9 months of treatment. The effectiveness of therapy was demonstrated by statistically significant variations in height, height SDS, growth velocity, serum levels of IGF-I. After 9 months of rhGH therapy, a significant increase was observed in all values considered with exception of MCV. In conclusion Gh would appear to stimulate erythropoiesis, directly or indirectly, and these results would appear to indicate an in vivo confirmation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[Growth in stature in infantile-juvenile obesity].

The study aimed to assess the effect of juvenile simple adiposity on growth. The height (measured using a Hapenden stadiometer) of 1443 subjects (799 boys and 644 girls) aged from 6 to 16 was measured. The Quetelet index (QI) of adiposity was used; all subjects examined exceeded the 95th centile of the standard Cronk and Roche scale. Heights are expressed as standard deviation scores (SDS) and are compared to the British Standard. Adipose boys are taller than British boys up to the age of 12, then the difference lessens and the average heights of 15-year-old adipose boys are below the 50th centile of British growth charts. Female subjects showed a higher SDS from 6 to 8 years, after which the difference lessens gradually, and after 13 years the average height is below the 50th centile of British standards. Adipose boys are taller than normal boys during childhood; in prepuberty and puberty this difference lessens and during puberty they are shorter than British boys. This growth model is probably due to advanced skeletal maturity in adipose subjects with the result that at puberty growth lessens because it is exhausted. The wide epidemiological cross-sectional study confirms that growth is favourable in juvenile adiposity but does not alter adult height.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[Correlation between lipid pattern and body mass index in obesity].

Lipid plasma levels were measured in a group of 519 obese subjects, aged 7-66 years, divided according to age, sex and BMI. Lipidemia and total cholesterolemia increased both with age and BMI, irrespective of sex; LDL and VLDL increased in relation to age and, with less evident differences, to BMI. Triglycerides increased in the age bracket from adolescent to adult, especially in males, whereas their increase in relation to BMI showed no difference between the sexes. Chylomicron plasma levels remained steady both in relation to age and BMI.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[Impaired glucose tolerance in obesity in children and adolescents].

The incidence of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in obese juvenile has not yet been well defined. Glycemic and insulin responses to OGTT were evaluated in 398 obese juveniles (and 70 healthy control subjects) to investigate possible correlations with age, body mass index (BMI) and obesity duration. Subjects were subdivided into two groups according to OGTT results: obese with normal glucose tolerance (OB-NGT) and obese with impaired glucose tolerance (OB-IGT). IGT was found in 11% of subjects but no correlations were observed in relation to age, BMI and obesity duration. There was no difference in the glycemic response to OGTT in terms of the biological parameters examined. Insulin plasma levels were twice as high in OB-NGT in comparison to control subjects and OB-NGT. Basal insulinemia increased with BMI in OB-IGT but not in OB-NGT.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Assessment of final body height of a group of persons with juvenile obesity].

Essential adiposity positively influences growth during childhood, but little is known about its effects on final height. A study was performed in 39 subjects (20 males and 19 females, mean age 10.7 for males, and 8.2 years for females) affected by essential adiposity to assess height during and at the end of the developmental age. During childhood the height of adipose subjects included in the study exceeded the mean values for matched chronological ages from the British reference sample (0.716 SDS for males, 0.587 for females). In adulthood, this advantage was completely reversed: the height of males in the study was in line with mean values (0.069 SDS), whereas the females were slightly under the mean height of the reference group (0.165 SDS). Since height is known to be heavily influenced by genetic factors, the results have been corrected for genetic bias. Improved results are obtained following correction for genetic influence: males (0.890 SDS), females (0.584 SDS). In conclusion, childhood adiposity has a positive influence on growth during the developmental age, and also appears to have a positive influence on genetic potential, as may be deduced from the height of the parents, thus improving final height.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[The importance of glycosylated plasma protein determination in the diagnosis of carbohydrate intolerance in obesity].

To evaluate the possible interest of the dosage of glycated plasma proteins in the diagnosis of glucidic intolerance, OGTT with determination of glycaemia and insulinaemia, HbA1c and fructosamine was determined in 6 normal and 35 obese subjects. On the basis of OGTT the subjects were subdivided into 20 obese with normal glucose tolerance, 7 with IGT and 8 with DM. In the comparison between all the subjects there was a significantly higher plasma fructosamine concentration in the obese with DM (p less than 0.001). No difference was noticed between the normal subjects and the other two classes of obese patients. This suggests that the evaluation of glycated plasma proteins is scarcely sure in a screening plan.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Clinical aspects of respiratory pathology in scleroderma. Case reports].

Six cases of scleroderma with pulmonary involvement, either isolated or accompanied by other visceral signs, observed between 1985 and 1987 have been examined. Patients were undergoing treatment with cortisone drugs in 4 cases and azathioprine in 2. Chest X-ray documented a picture of nodular opacities in 3 cases, reticular in 2 and miliariform in 1. B.A.L. revealed a picture of prevalently neutrophil alveolitis in all subjects, while transbronchial biopsy showed a finding of macrophagic infiltration in 2 cases, and one of fibroblastic proliferation in 4. The anatomoclinical damage was reflected adequately by spirometric tests and above all by the DLCO, while Gallium 67 scan and measurement of the A.C.E. were not very sensitive.

Adult↗