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Biomedical subjects

A Galassi

Publications and source records attributed to A Galassi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Tissue factors influencing growth and maintenance of endometriosis.

The unpredictable response of endometriosis to steroids and its recurrence after therapy, led us to hypothesize a possible further control of this pathology by factors other than steroids. The presence of estrogen, progesterone and epidermal growth factor receptors (ER, PR, EGFr) was evaluated using immunohistochemistry before and after therapy with Danazol or a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa), Buserelin. EGFr, ER and PR were present in 100% of endometrial specimens, and in 71%, 29% and 49% of endometriotic implants, respectively. Danazol and GnRHa reduced immunohistochemical staining for EGFr antisera in the endometrial and endometriotic specimens. About 21% of endometriosis were EGFr positive and ER negative, suggesting a potential role of epidermal growth factor in growth and maintenance of endometrial ectopia.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Basement membrane in human endometrium: possible role of proteolytic enzymes in developing hyperplasia and carcinoma.

Basement membranes (BM) are elements of the extracellular matrix that are essential for growth and differentiation of tissues. Several collagenolytic enzymes of tumor cells are involved in degradation of the extracellular matrix; growth and inhibitor factors [e.g. Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), Transforming Growth Factors alpha and beta (TGF-alpha, beta)] seem to be involved in the extracellular matrix formation and degradation. To establish a possible association between the presence of collagenase (C), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and the neoplastic growth of the endometrium, 44 endometrial specimens (14 proliferative, 11 secretive, 7 adenomatous hyperplasia, 12 adenocarcinoma) were studied using immunohistochemistry with antisera for C, uPA, EGF receptors and TGF-alpha. Immunostaining for collagenase revealed a positive reaction in moderately differentiated adeno-carcinoma without staining the normal and hyperplastic endometrium. A progressive increase in uPA immunostaining was observed in proliferative and neoplastic endometrium. TGF-alpha and its receptor (EGFr) were stained in proliferative and more clearly in hyperplastic and carcinomatous endometrium. In conclusion, BM play an important role in proliferation and differentiation of human endometrium; their degradation influences estrogen transportation from blood to the stroma. Endometrial BM degradation is associated with the presence of collagenolytic enzymes and growth factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

The effect of progestin on factors influencing growth and invasion of endometrial carcinoma.

Progesterone (P) and progestins play an important role in the control of endometrial growth. We have investigated P and progestin effects on endometrial estrogen extraction, on basement membrane (BM) synthesis and on the presence of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) in normal and pathologic endometrium. E2 uptake, evaluated in human isolated perfused uteri is significantly decreased by P. BMs investigated using immunohistochemistry, with antisera to collagen IV and laminin, were found around stromal cells only in the luteal phase or during P or progestin administration. Glandular BM, discontinuous in hyperplastic and carcinomatous endometria, were restored to integrity only in typical hyperplasia after therapy with progestin. Endometrial EGFr is modified by P: revelation of this antigen is increased in proliferative phase and decreased in secretory phase. Similarly this molecule was present in hyperplastic and carcinomatous endometria. Only in benign hyperplasia did we observe no staining for the same antigen after progestinic therapy. These data suggest that P or progestins may also have an indirect influence through mechanisms such as estrogen uptake and tissue factor activity with important differences between normal and pathologic endometrium.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Noninvasive quantification of regional myocardial blood flow in coronary artery disease with oxygen-15-labeled carbon dioxide inhalation and positron emission tomography.

BACKGROUND: Oxygen-15-labeled water is a diffusible, metabolically inert myocardial blood flow tracer with a short half-life (2 minutes) that can be used quantitatively with positron emission tomography (PET). The purpose of this study was to validate a new technique to quantify myocardial blood flow (MBF) in animals and to assess its application in patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: The technique involves the administration of 15O-labeled carbon dioxide (C15O2) and rapid dynamic scanning. Arterial and myocardial time activity curves were fitted to a single tissue compartment tracer kinetic model to estimate MBF in each myocardial region. Validation studies consisted of 52 simultaneous measurements of MBF with PET and gamma-labeled microspheres in nine closed-chest dogs over a flow range of 0.5-6.1 ml/g/min. A good correlation between the two methods was obtained (y = 0.36 + 1.0x, r = 0.91). Human studies consisted of 11 normal volunteers and eight patients with chronic stable angina and single-vessel disease, before and after intravenous dipyridamole infusion. In the normal group, MBF was homogeneous throughout the left ventricle both at rest and after administration of dipyridamole (0.88 +/- 0.08 ml/g/min and 3.52 +/- 1.12 ml/g/min, respectively; p less than or equal to 0.001). In patients, resting MBF was similar in the distribution of the normal and stenotic arteries (1.03 +/- 0.23 and 0.93 +/- 0.21 ml/g/min, respectively). After dipyridamole infusion, MBF in normally perfused areas increased to 2.86 +/- 0.83 ml/g/min, whereas in the regions supplied by stenotic arteries it increased to only 1.32 +/- 0.27 ml/g/min (p less than or equal to 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: PET with C15O2 inhalation provides an accurate noninvasive quantitative method for measuring regional myocardial blood flow in patients.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

A case of virus associated hemophagocytic syndrome and malignant histiocytosis: sometimes a difficult distinction.

The differential diagnosis among hemophagocytic syndromes and particularly between the virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (VAHS) and the malignant histiocytosis (HM) is quite easy in typical cases. Difficulties of interpretation may sometimes ensue when viral-bacteriologic work-ups indicative of VAHS are negative and/or morphologic histiocytic aberrations indicative of HM are missing. The authors present a case of hemophagocytic syndrome with the latter characteristics and discuss the differential diagnosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Malignant melanoma of the gallbladder. Case report and review of the literature.

The authors are presenting a new case of malignant melanoma of the gallbladder to be added to those described in the literature. The tumour appeared as a polypoid mass of the gallbladder and had metastasized to the jejunum and the brain. Review of the literature and analysis of this case require a thorough discussion of the real existence of tumours in this unusual primary site.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

[Variability in immunologic aspects of Whipple's disease. Is a unitary interpretation possible?].

A case of Whipple's disease with histological and ultrastructural studies, characterized by unusual bacteriological and immunologic findings, is reported. Alpha hemolytic Streptococcus and Candida tropicalis were isolated from the culture of the intestinal biopsy specimens. The immunological function study showed a global defect both of humoral and cellular immunity. On the basis of the literature review, the Authors debate a unitary interpretation of the various immunological dysfunctions reported in this disease.

Antibody Formation↗
PubMed1989

[Necrotizing lymphadenitis without granulocytic infiltration or Kikuchi disease. Description of 5 cases].

The authors describe five cases of necrotizing lymphadenitis without granulocyte infiltration or Kikuchi's disease. Of the patients, all young, four were females and one of male sex. In one case serological positivity was found for the anti Toxoplasma antibodies. Histologically they are noted in the lymph node infiltration areas constituted by histiocytes, immunoblasts, lymphocytes and plasmacytoid cells with phenomena of variable degree necrosis. Granulocytes were absent in all. Cytochemistry and immunohistochemistry studies with specific antiserums for the k and lambda chains, the S100 protein and the MB1, MB2 and MT1 antigens, the Lisozyme and the alpha 1 antichymotrypsin, show a prevalent histiocyte population, associated with a modest polyclonal B component and with a T population of variable entity. The plasmacytoid component did not appear reactive to the same antibodies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Basement membrane components in normal hyperplastic and neoplastic endometrium.

The major basement membrane (BM) components, laminin and type IV collagen, were studied by immunochemistry in normal, hyperplastic, and neoplastic endometrium. By immunoperoxidase technique, proliferative and secretive endometrium showed capillary and epithelial cell basement membranes with linear staining with antibodies to both laminin and type IV collagen. Immunostaining of laminin and type IV collagen showed that capillaries were surrounded by a continuous perivascular sheath of these matrices in specimens of adenomatous hyperplasia and in nearly all specimens of endometrial adenocarcinoma. Laminin and type IV collagen were found to accumulate around glandular epithelial cells of adenomatous hyperplastic endometrium, but in several specimens these linear surrounding formations were defective and discontinuous. In several areas of well-differentiated endometrial adenocarcinomas BM-like structures were found around glandular epithelial cells as shadows without staining for laminin and type IV collagen. These basement membrane components accumulate around stromal cells to encircle each cell with a gradual, progressive, and cyclic process depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle. Laminin and type IV collagen were clearly detected around stromal cells at days 20 to 22 of the menstrual cycle and more thickly at days 26 to 28. The accumulation of these matrices around stromal cells is a progesterone/progestin-related process. In the well-differentiated adenocarcinoma a mid-term treatment with progestin (Danatrol Maggioni-Winthrop, SPA, Milan, Italy) was found to be effective on laminin and type IV collagen accumulation around stromal cells.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1986

The use of absorbable suture: morphological findings in a newborn three months after coarctation repair.

The macroscopic and histological findings in a case of surgical repair of aortic coarctation in a newborn, performed using polydioxanone, a monofilament absorbable suture material, are reported. The persistence of suture material three months after surgery, the lack of severe inflammatory changes, calcification and elastic disruption of the arterial wall, confirm previous experimental data. For these characteristics, the use of polydioxanone in the repair of aortic coarctation in newborns is suggested, in order to avoid recoarctation, the most frequent complication of this surgical therapy.

Absorption↗
PubMed1984

Effect of ranitidine and cimetidine on gastric emptying of a mixed meal in man.

The effect of acute and chronic crossover administration of ranitidine and cimetidine on gastric emptying was studied in healthy volunteers and in duodenal ulcer patients, respectively. In the first series of experiments, intravenous ranitidine (50 mg) significantly (p less than 0.05) delayed emptying of both solids and liquids, whereas cimetidine (300 mg i.v.) was totally ineffective. In the second set of experiments, neither ranitidine (150 mg bd orally for two weeks) nor cimetidine (400 mg bd) significantly modified emptying rate. These results, therefore, suggest that only high blood levels of ranitidine, as elicited by intravenous administration, are able to affect gastric emptying. On the contrary, at steady state levels elicited by conventional therapeutic doses, no effect on gastric emptying is evident.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1983

[Theoretical bases of health education in cardiology: prevention of rheumatic diseases].

Today also in Italy rheumatic disease shows a reduction of its prevalence, however it is still significant present in South Italy, especially among poorer and less educated social groups. We have to research the reasons why there is not yet an effective antistreptococcus vaccine, why there is not a penicillinic prophylaxis quite accurate and capillary, moreover why there is little interest among the majority of politicians and medical personnel regarding those social and sanitary situations, which encourage the rheumatic disease in the poor. Especially in the South, in spite of diffused improvement of the economic welfare, a good health education program has not developed. It should be done by law methodically and very seriously, inside and outside the hospitals, the schools and in the communities, taking advantage of all means especially radio and television, which are now only used for advertisements, that often are only diseducative.

Health Education↗
PubMed1983

Cystic lesion of the kidney with ultrastructural evidence of mesothelial origin.

A case of cystic renal mesothelioma in a 55 year-old woman is described. The patient had only intense pain in the left lumbar region. The tumor macroscopically appeared as a cystic multilocular mass, 20 cm. in diameter, sharply demarcated from the renal parenchyma. A light and electron microscope study was performed, and strongly supported mesothelial origin. The patient was treated by surgical therapy which was completely resolutive. The differential diagnosis between this tumor and peri and para-renal cystic lesions is discussed.

Diagnosis, Differential↗