Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Barbaro.
A young girl (16 years old), with a grave type of hepatitis and advanced cirrhosis of liver, died 4 days after her hospitalisation. To verify the real causes of death, it was required the autopsy. After toxicological and histo-pathological analysis it was suspected a case of Wilson's syndrome.
In Calabria, a study team form legal medicine emergency (LME) formed to initiate a Crisis Unit (CU) able to manage and deal LME with complicated operations and roles, people and technical aspects involvement. First steps are planning, scene study and organization. Everything connecting the first and second emergency to have practicable application.
A man 24-year-old died suddenly while he was doing shopping. It was supposed that the death was caused by ictus or by cardiac pathology. During the autopsy, some biological samples were taken (hair, urine, blood and lachrymal liquid) for the toxicological analysis and also the heart, some fragments from the liver, lungs, spleen, and kidneys for the histo-pathological analysis.
At the crime scene a mixture of biological samples from more than one individual often happens and since generally different contributors may give in the mixture a different contribution of biological material, in this study we have evaluated this effect on STRs analysis.
Two brothers, living in two different cities, received two different anonymous letters. We performed latent prints development and DNA research on the letters and also on a glass used by a cousin suspected to be the letters' sender.
Isocode card and IsoCode ID Sample Registration Matrix (Schleicher and Schuell BioScience Inc.) are different paper devices chemically treated that keep sample DNA safe from degradation, allowing for the indefinite storage of DNA at ambient temperatures. In this study, blood was collected on Isocode card while saliva, sperm were collected on IsoCode ID. We also tried to verify the effect of collecting urine on Isocode ID. All samples (belonging to the same male donor) were analyzed after 1 day, 1-5 months since their application on the paper.
The human sex test in forensic multiplexes is based on the amelogenin gene on both the X and Y chromosomes commonly used in sex genotyping. In this work sex determination across the quantification of nuclear DNA was achieved by real-time PCR of a segment of the X-Y homologous amelogenin (AMG) gene that allowed the simultaneous estimation of a Y- and an X-specific fragment. The AMG real-time PCR design has been used to quantify a set of forensic casework samples.
A reliable quantification of human DNA is necessary in the process of routine forensic human identification. When DNA is degraded, contaminated or associated with inhibitors, is important to accurately estimate the concentration of extracted DNA prior to perform an analysis based on nuclear markers amplified. In this work, a new approaches to DNA quantification employees the use of a real-time fluorescence probe system. The real-time PCR assay is highly sensitive, specific, rapid, cost-effective and flexible assay for analysis of forensic casework samples, can perform with DNA of poor quality and detect specifically amplifiable DNA rather than total DNA for STR analysis.
A man suspected to be a drug user was found dead; toxicological analysis of his biological samples showed the presence of lidocaine in all samples analysed, while cocaine was found only in the blood, urine and hair samples. We found that the cause of death was determined by ventricular arrhythmia associated to lidocaine/cocaine overdosage.
This study concerns the effects of urban air pollution on the nasopharyngeal epithelium, with the aim of evaluating the possible harmful activity of levels of atmospheric pollution which are not currently considered to be dangerous. Over a 3 month period, 10 lambs kept in a zone characterized by numerous vehicles were sacrificed at regular intervals, and their nasopharyngeal mucosa was examined by scanning electron microscopy and image analysis. Two lambs kept in a rural area were used as controls. The local levels of some airborne contaminants (NO(x), NO2, NO, SO2, CO and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter < or =10 microm (PM10)) were monitored throughout the experiment. The urban air had an irritating effect, inducing hypersecretion of mucus and morphological damage to the ciliated epithelium. These alterations increased with the duration of exposure to urban air and with increasing pollution levels, although the levels remained below current legal levels. We conclude that the harmful effects of airborne contaminants are probably underestimated. Moreover, physicochemical evaluation of pollution parameters should be complemented by morphological study of upper respiratory epithelium in exposed animals, since this mucosa is a sensitive target for irritating agents.
The factors associated with cyclosporin A (CsA)- and nifedipine (Nif)-induced gingival overgrowth were investigated in 113 renal transplant recipients receiving CsA alone (Group 1) [n = 61], CsA and Nif (Group 2) [n = 28], or azathioprine (Aza) (Control Group) [n = 24]. Periodontal and pharmacological parameters were assessed for each patient. The patients with a gingival overgrowth index (GOI) score >1 were considered responders (R); those with a score </= 1 were non-responders (NR). Gingival overgrowth occurred in 33.7% of the patients in Groups 1 and 2; 60% of the responders were receiving CsA+Nif. In R, no relationship was found between the GOI and the periodontal and pharmacological parameters, and although there was a trend towards an increased presence of HLA-A19 antigen (chi-square=4.40; P=0.04; RR=2.86), no significant difference was found between R and NR (Pc>0.05). It is concluded that the prevalence and severity of gingival overgrowth are greater in patients receiving CsA+Nif. As overgrowth appeared to be unrelated to local irritants, gingival inflammation or pharmacological parameters, it may be related to individual susceptibility.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The efficacy and the tolerance of a polyene macrolide, mepartricin (SPA-S-160), able to interfere with intestinal absorption of cholesterol, were evaluated on 50 patients with primary hyperlipemia. Administration of 3 tablets/die for 30 days caused a significant decrease (P less than 0.01) in the lipid values, which, further controlled 30 days following treatment, proved to have remained lower than those observed at the beginning of the study.
A "cross over" study was carried out in a group of 22 subjects with prostatic hypertrophy in different stages, first treated with chloroformic extract of Pygeum Africanum (4 capsules/die for 30 days) and afterwards, when the symptoms reappeared, with mepartricin (3 gastroresistant tablets of 50,000 U. each/die for 30 days). Both substances proved to be active against the urinary symptomatology; however the polyene induced a significant decrease in the prostate size (evaluated by cystography), justifying the 77% of "excellent" results against the 13% obtained with the reference drug.