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A Grassi

Publications and source records attributed to A Grassi.

100 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Thyroid autoimmunity in chronic urticaria.

A subset of patients with idiopathic chronic urticaria (CU) has been recently classified as autoimmune on the basis of two main findings: association with thyroid autoimmunity and with anti-IgE and/or anti-IgE receptor antibodies. The association of CU with thyroid autoimmunity has been known since 1983, but its frequency varies in different reports. The objective of the present study was to verify the prevalence of thyroid antibodies (anti-thyroid peroxidase, TPO; thyroglobulin, TG; TSH-receptor, TSH-R) in two distinct series of CU: of known cause (70 cases, group A) and idiopathic (52 cases, group B). Twenty-three patients (M/F:7/16) of group A (33%) and 12 (M/F:4/8) of group B (23%) tested positive for at least one type of thyroid antibody. The difference was not statistically significant. Thyroid disease or altered serum TSH levels (requiring treatment) were present in 39% of group A and 42% of group B seropositive patients. In conclusion, the present study shows that CU, either of known cause or idiopathic, is more common in females than in males and is significantly associated with thyroid autoimmunity. These results were not expected on the assumption that autoimmune phenomena are a specific pattern of idiopathic CU. Thus, screening for thyroid autoimmunity and function is advisable in all patients with CU for the early identification of patients requiring either treatment of underlying thyroid dysfunction or follow-up.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Rapid improvement of symptomatology with pantoprazole, amoxycillin and metronidazole in Helicobacter pylori-positive duodenal ulcer patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a new 1-week triple therapy regimen consisting of pantoprazole, amoxycillin and metronidazole. METHODOLOGY: The study involved 51 Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) positive patients (M:30, F:21, mean age: 52.5 years, range: 24-75) affected with duodenal ulcer in active phase. At baseline and 6 weeks after the completion of treatment, clinical assessment, endoscopy with gastric biopsies, rapid urease test, 13C urea breath test, and serum laboratory analyses were performed. All patients were treated with pantoprazole 40 mg once daily, plus amoxycillin 1 gram tid and metronidazole 250 mg tid for 1 week, and pantoprazole 40 mg once daily for a second week. A clinical diary for daily assessment of symptoms and side effects was completed by patients during the treatment period. RESULTS: Three patients were discontinued from the study. Six weeks after therapy, the ulcer was healed in 47 of 48 patients (97.9%, 95% CI = 93.9-100). The cure rates of H. pylori infection, expressed using both the intention-to-treat and per protocol analyses, were 80.4% (95% CI = 69.5-91.3) and 85.4% (95% CI = 75.4-95.4), respectively. The therapy led to a significant, rapid disappearance or reduction in daytime epigastric pain, from 68.8% on day 1 to 82.2% on day 3 (p < 0.001) and in nocturnal epigastric pain, from 80.6% on day 1 to 93.3% on day 3 (p < 0.001). After 2 weeks of treatment, the percentage of patients completely free of pain was 82.2% for daytime pain and 90.3% for nocturnal pain. A rapid improvement in acid regurgitation, heartburn, nausea and vomiting was also observed with a median value of symptom disappearance of 2 days. The percentages of patients completely symptom-free were 37.5% after 1 day, 54.1% after 3 days, 75% after 2 weeks, and 83.3% after 2 months. H. pylori-cured patients showed a significant decrease in the histological activity of both antral (p = 0.0001) and body (p < 0.008) gastritis. Mild to moderate adverse events were reported by 15 patients. CONCLUSIONS: One week triple therapy with pantoprazole in combination with amoxycillin and metronidazole, followed by a second week of pantoprazole, was well tolerated and highly effective for the 1) rapid improvement or resolution of symptoms; 2) healing of the DU; 3) eradication of H. pylori infection; and, 4) reduction of histological signs of chronic gastritis activity.

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Study of tolerance and efficacy of cosmetic preparations with lenitive action in atopic dermatitis in children].

PURPOSE: In AD (atopic dermatitis), the barrier function of skin is impaired, causing dryness and vulnerability: the first-end point to achieve is restoring skin's function to avoid relapses. Our aim was to assess tolerability and effecacy of two cosmetics with moisturizing and lenitive action in subjects affected by AD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used a topical preparation (product A) and a new formulation of it (product B) containing glycyrrhetinic acid, alpha-bisabolol, squalene, oryzanol and hohoba-oil. Product B was then compared with a third one (product C), also based on glycyrrhetinic acid and bisabolol. 30 subjects, aged between 4 months and 16 years, were included in the study (13 girls and 17 boys), suffered from mild-moderate AD, not treated with steroids. Patients were treated twice a day for 21 days, as follows: 12 product A (Decortil lipocrema IDI Farmaceutici); 9 product B (Decortil crema, IDI Farmaceutici); 9 product B on the right and product C (Lichtena AI crema UCB Pharma) on the left. We also did: photografic documentation, SCORAD Index, evaluation of objective (erythema, exudation, excoriation, dryness) and subjective (itching and burning) simptomatology (scoring 0-3) and physiopatological cutaneous tests as TEWL (Trans Epidermal Water Loss), corneometry and pHmetry at beginning and at end of treatment. RESULTS: All groups improved both clinically and instrumentally. Corneometry increased, TEWL lowed and pH turned to normality. CONCLUSIONS: Product A is better for restoring cutaneous physiology, B resulted more efficient in rehydration, in acute phase and as emollient agent, whereas C has more lenitive action.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Activation of c-MYC and c-MYB proto-oncogenes is associated with decreased apoptosis in tumor colon progression.

BACKGROUND: An increasing amount of evidence suggests that progression from normal mucosa to colorectal cancer is accompanied by morphological and genetic alterations. Genetic abnormalities affect malignant transformation via a gradual imbalance of normal tissue homeostasis involving programmed cell death (PCD) or apoptosis. Therefore, it has been hypothesized that alterations in apoptosis may contribute to carcinogenesis. The aim of the present work was to investigate the relationship between frequency of spontaneous apoptosis during transition adenoma-to-carcinoma of the colorectal tract and the incidence of activation of c-myc and c-myb proto-oncogenes, involved both in colon tumorigenesis and apoptosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-five tissue specimens (60 polyps and 35 adenocarcinomas) were removed with autologous normal adjacent mucosa from colon cancer patients. Genomic DNA was extracted and analyzed for both apoptosis frequency (DNA fragmentation assay) and proto-oncogene activation (Southern blot analysis). On the same samples, Bcl-2 protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Our results showed that: i) a significant relationship exists between apoptosis and genesis of colorectal cancer since, compared to adenomatous polyps and adjacent normal mucosa, cell death is markedly inhibited in tumors (p = 0.01); ii) during colon tumor progression, apoptosis and amplifications of c-myc/c-myb genes are inversely related; iii) Bcl-2 expression is retained in colon tumors even though at a significantly lower level with respect to adenomatous polyps. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that failure of the normal apoptotic process together with de-regulation of c-myc and c-myb proto-oncogenes might promote the development of colorectal tumors.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Utility of endoscopic follow-up after resection of colorectal cancer].

PURPOSE: Patients resected for colorectal cancer are at increased risk for an anastomotic recurrence, for adenomatous polyps and for a metachronous cancer. A regular colonoscopic surveillance in these patients is justified for early detection and potential resection of anastomotic recurrences, new primary cancer and adenomatous polyps. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 322 patients were observed and resected for colorectal cancer between 1970 and 1988, with complete staging agreed to be included in a follow-up program (median follow-up: 105 months). To December 1993 all the patients were submitted to colonoscopy once yearly for the first 5 years and then every 2 years. RESULTS: Anastomotic recurrence was observed in 22 of the 253 patients who underwent resection for rectal or sigmoid adenocarcinoma (8.7%). Sixteen of these patients were submitted to a second curative resection with a median survival of 35 months; the median survival was 6 months in the 6 patients who could not undergo this operation (p = 0.0018). Metachronous adenomas of the residual colon were found in 24 patients (7.4%) and metachronous cancers in 5 (1.5%) at Stage A, according to Dukes' classification. CONCLUSIONS: In patients resected for rectal or sigmoid carcinoma, a sigmoidoscopy should be performed every 6 months for the first 2 years for the early detection of anastomotic recurrences. In all cases, a colonoscopy should be performed every 5 years after surgery to detect metachronous lesions at early stage. Before surgery, a "clean colon" should always be established to detect possible synchronous lesions.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Efficacy of the disinfection of fiber endoscopes].

The validity of routine disinfection of gastrointestinal fibroscopes is reported. The Authors present their work based on 204 tests performed on gastroscopes and colonoscopes after manual disinfection performed by skilled nurses. All the instruments were kept in a 1:16 solution of glutaraldehyde-phenate for 10 minutes. Microbiological tests were performed half on sterile solution flushed on the outer part of the endoscope and half into the bioptic channel. Different groups of tests are reported. When strict asepsis was observed in handling the endoscopes all tests demonstrated to be sterile. When the endoscopes were handled as in usual routine, i.e. without sterile gloves and so on, 20% of the tests showed the presence of bacteria: these were only of types present in the environment. No real pathogens or antibiotic resistant strains were observed. The total disinfection procedure showed to be easy and quick to perform. No allergic or toxic reactions were observed. The importance of this procedure as a routine one in all endoscopy units is stressed considering also that literature data demonstrate the efficacy of glutaraldehyde-phenate against hepatitis and AIDS viruses.

Bacteria↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Development of a multimedial filing system for an endoscopy unit.

The rapid technological development of biomedical instruments, and of hardware and software systems is giving new opportunities in the management of medical activities. We have developed a multimedial filing system for an Endoscopy Unit which, thanks to its versatility, is also suitable for other medical branches. The system is built on a database, and includes clinical records of patients together with endoscopic pictures and vocal comments for each case. It was developed by using "Microsoft Windows 3.1" programming and is directly connected to the videoendoscopes. The system operates in a "Novell Netware" network. Future fields of interests are reported with regard to: a) image processing procedures that can be applied; b) other types of images that can be stored such as radiological, echographic images, etc.; c) transmission of information and a global multimedial filing system serving the entire hospital; and d) a written report, including the endoscopic images of the disease.

Computer Systems↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Detection of C-myb genetic alterations and mutant p53 serum protein in patients with benign and malignant colon lesions.

C-myb structural alterations were analysed by Southern blot hybridization in 55 adenomatous polyps and 21 adenocarcinomas of the colon. Gene amplification was observed in 8 cases (14.5%) and c-myb rearrangements in 3 cases (5.4%) of the preneoplastic lesions analysed. A higher percentage of c-myb abnormalities (23.8%) was shown by malignant tumors. As far as mutant p53 protein is concerned, it was detected both in sera of adenoma and adenocarcinoma patients, though at different levels. No statistically significant correlations were found between c-myb or p53 abnormalities and clinico-pathological variables.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Atopic manifestations, growth and nutritional data in newborns at high risk for allergy fed serum protein hydrolysate: 2-year follow-up].

Authors have studied, in high risk for atopy newborns, with a follow-up of two years, the effect of feeding whey hydrolysate, evaluating the incidence of atopic manifestations, the growth pattern and different biochemical nutritional parameters, comparing the results to those observed in breast fed newborns. No significative differences have been shown suggesting that whey protein hydrolysate could be a good alternative to breast milk, when this is not available.

Follow-Up Studies↗