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Biomedical subjects

A Morandi

Publications and source records attributed to A Morandi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Histology of vancomycin-supplemented impacted bone allografts in revision total hip arthroplasty.

Vancomycin-supplemented allografts provide biological restoration of bone stock and sound fixation with a low incidence of re-infection. Experimental incorporation of these grafts is similar to allografts without vancomycin. However, the underlying biology remains unknown. We report the first histological observations of vancomycin-supplemented impacted bone allografts in two reconstructions performed 14 and 20 months after revision surgery because of a periprosthetic fracture. Areas of active bone remodelling (creeping substitution), as well as calcified bone trabeculae and graft particles embedded in dense fibrous tissue, were observed with osteoid and fibroconnective tissue surrounding polymethylmethacrylate particles. These pathological findings are similar to those reported in allografts without vancomycin and support the hypothesis that high levels of vancomycin do not affect the incorporation of bone graft.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Insufficiency subchondral fracture of the femoral head: report of 4 cases and review of the literature.

Insufficiency subchondral fractures are nontraumatic flattened lesions in the superolateral area of the femoral head, occurring in healthy adults. These lesions were recently described and are an infrequent cause of acute hip pain. We report on 4 patients who were diagnosed with an insufficiency subchondral fracture. All the patients showed radiographic progression of the lesion after 4 months, and 3 patients required a total hip arthroplasty. The etiology and the natural history of these rare lesions remain to be elucidated. These lesions should be differentiated from osteonecrosis and transient osteoporosis, because treatment and prognosis may differ.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Nerve growth factor (NGF) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with various neurological disorders.

It has been recently shown that NGF is not only involved in the survival and development of sympathetic and neural crest-derived sensory neurons, but also in some mechanisms of the immune system. For this reason, we studied the content of NGF in CSF samples from patients with diseases in which neuroimmunological mechanisms seem to be involved (multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer disease, chronic relapsing polyradiculoneuritis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and tumors of the nervous system), as well as from a number of normal control subjects. We setup an ELISA aimed at the beta subunit of NGF, obtaining good validation tests and a detection limit of 28 pg beta NGF per ml. None of the samples was found to contain detectable levels of NGF and, when a concentration method for sample enrichment was used, only one patient was NGF-positive. This suggests that NGF is probably not involved in the neuroimmunological mechanisms underlying some inflammatory and degenerative diseases of the nervous system.

Antibody Specificity↗
PubMed1994

Risk of infection and estimated incidence of tuberculosis in northern Uganda.

The main goals of our study were to evaluate: 1) the annual risk of tuberculosis infection (ARTI) and its annual decrease in Uganda; 2) the expected incidence of new tuberculosis cases and the notification rate; and 3) the role of incentives given to children tested in increasing compliance with the survey procedures. The methodology is based on performing the standard World Health Organization (WHO) tuberculin test on children of the same age groups at intervals of 10-15 yrs, identifying infected persons by induration distribution analysis, and converting the prevalence rates detected into risk rates according to the ARTI model. Two thousand six hundred and twenty one school children aged 10 yrs old and bacilli Calmette-Guérin (BCG) nonvaccinated, in six study areas, were injected with two tuberculin units (TU) of purified protein derivative (PPD) RT 23 Copenhagen. The detected prevalence was 14 +/- 1.4% (prevalence +/- 95% confidence interval (95% CI)) and the ARTI value 1.2 +/- 0.9%, with an estimated annual decrease of 0.83% from 1958 to 1970 and 2.9% in the 1970-1987 period. The estimated expected incidence of new cases in Uganda was 59 smear positive and 75 smear negative/extrapulmonary cases per 100,000 population in 1987, and 53 and 65, respectively, in 1990, with an overall 68% notification coverage. No significant improvement in children returning for reading was observed in the group receiving incentives. We conclude that the average decrease (2.9%) probably represents the natural decline of tuberculosis in Uganda. The coverage appears encouraging, although the ARTI detected could be underestimated, since the existing ARTI model was developed and validated before the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) era.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

BCG Vaccine↗
PubMed1992

Anti-inflammatory action of AGF44, a ganglioside ester derivative.

Gangliosides (GA) have been shown to promote axonal sprouting and growth of injured peripheral nerves, and enhance functional biochemical and morphologic recovery after CNS damage. Moreover, it has recently been shown that the natural ganglioside mixture (GM1 + GD1a + GD1b + GT1b) from bovine brain is endowed with powerful anti-inflammatory activity in rodents. Here we report that the novel semisynthetic ganglioside derivative AGF44, the isopropyl ester of monosialoganglioside GM1, displays a potent anti-inflammatory activity when orally or topically administered in various models of acute inflammation. AGF44 was effective (0.5-5 mg/kg p.o. or 0.5% gel topical application) in reducing rat paw oedema induced by either carrageenin, histamine, bradykinin, serotonin, nystatin or kaolin. Moreover, crossed confrontation with the effects elicited by other anti-inflammatory agents revealed that AGE44 seems to act through a different pathway than NSAIDs, steroids or antihistaminic/antiserotoninic agents.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1992

[Hypoxemia after heart surgery. An exception or a normal development?].

The course of respiratory exchange through arterial blood gas analysis after coronary bypass-grafting and valvular replacement has been investigated in a cohort of 62 patients. Arterial blood gases were measured at baseline (the day before surgery), and then 1, 2, 3 and 9 days after surgery; in a subset of 18 patients, randomly selected from the same population, pulmonary function tests were also performed at baseline and repeated on day 9. Arterial blood gases showed a remarkable prevalence of hypoxaemia (as defined as arterial PaO2 less than 60 mmHg): 31% on the first, 50% on the second, and 40% on the third post-operative day; anemia and desaturated mixed venous blood were also prominent findings during the first two days. Arterial PO2 resulted higher afterward, although its mean value then was significantly lower than baseline (81.5 +/- 8.8 vs 93.1 +/- 9 mmHg, p less than 0.005). Pulmonary function tests evidenced widespread restrictive changes, with alterated thoraco-pulmonary mechanics (loss of more than 40% of vital capacity and one second forced expiratory flow) and parenchimal lung damage (residual volume and CO diffusion capacity decrease). Some differences in PaO2 course between coronary patients and valvular patients have been releaved; the mean basal PaO2 value of valvular was significantly lower then the other one (86.7 +/- 10.8 vs 94.7 +/- 10.9, p less than 0.05).

Coronary Artery Bypass↗
PubMed1991

Neuropil threads of Alzheimer's disease show a marked alteration of the normal cytoskeleton.

Abnormal neurites, neuropil threads, are a widespread and characteristic lesion of Alzheimer's disease likely to play a major role in the cognitive impairment of this disease. Contrary to normal neurites, neuropil threads contain straight and paired helical filaments that contain the microtubule-associated protein tau and ubiquitin. It is not known whether these abnormal filaments are added to or replace the normal cytoskeleton. In this study, we examined the fine structure of neuropil threads and carried out a morphometric analysis of the neurofilaments and abnormal filaments contained in the neuropil threads by using an antiserum to tau and colloidal gold immuno-electron microscopy. Almost 70% of the neuropil threads contained straight or paired helical filaments with no neurofilaments. The total number of filaments in each neuropil thread remained essentially unchanged either when straight or paired helical filaments were present alone or when they coexisted either together or with neurofilaments. When the three types of filaments were expressed as a proportion of the total, a linear inverse correlation was found between neurofilaments and straight filaments as well as between straight and paired helical filaments. Approximately 10% of the neuropil threads were found to be myelinated axons. It is concluded that straight filaments are likely to replace neurofilaments, that they in turn might be replaced by paired helical filaments, and that this process occurs in axons as well as dendrites.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Cutaneous necrosis and calcinosis following electroencephalography.

The authors report 2 children who developed circumscribed dystrophic calcifications at the site of electrode placement after electroencephalographic examination. Deep cutaneous necrosis was a prominent clinical feature. A biopsy showed focal dermal calcification confirmed by a diffractometer analysis of a calcific granule. Cutaneous calcinosis is a possible risk of the usage of an electrode paste containing calcium chloride. Prolonged exposure and damaged skin seem to be prerequisites for this uncommon but harmful condition.

Calcinosis↗
PubMed1990

The treatment of Köhler's second syndrome by continuous skeletal traction.

Osteochondrosis of the head of the second metatarsal bone, also known as Köhler's second disease, is typical of the second decade of life. This disease is characterized by evident symptoms during its acute phase, successively resulting in permanent changes in the metatarsal head. The authors propose a new method which is easy to use and which leads to rapid resolution of the osteochondrosis as well as to a rapid resumption of normal life and sports activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Significance of Harris' lines in fractures of the legs. Review of 53 cases].

Metabolic deficiencies of various kinds, acute or chronic diseases, and especially bone fractures may cause the formation of transverse thickening lines--known as Harris' lines--in bone metaphysis. The authors have selected 53 cases of lower limbs fractures in young people from their clinical reports and studies. These reports included X-ray studies or other data allowing comparison of the injured segment at a significant time interval from trauma. The importance of Harris' lines, which appear in a high percentage of cases, is discussed also from a medical jurisprudence point of view, as these lines clearly indicate the time when the fracture occurred and the subsequent evolution of the repair process.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Ubiquitin and heat shock proteins in cultured nervous tissue after different stress conditions.

Ubiquitin (Ub) and Heat Shock Proteins (HSP) are believed to act jointly in the recovery process of an organism exposed to a stress. Ubiquitin has been recently found associated with paired helical filaments (PHF) in tangles of Alzheimer disease (AD) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and with abnormal structures in other degenerative diseases, suggesting a role in their pathogenesis. To elucidate the mechanism of action, functions and relationship of Ub and the HSPs in the nervous tissue, we applied physical or chemical stress to neurons in culture. Rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG) explants were exposed either to aluminum lactate or to heat shock, the stress response was then studied with biochemical and immunological methods. The results show a clear dissociation in the formation of Ub-conjugates and the induction of the major HSPs, depending on the type of stress conditions.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1989

[Autologous blood transfusion in elective heart surgery: prospective study of 189 consecutive patients].

Blood autotransfusion has entered a new phase in blood transfusion technique, since it represents an important alternative in eliminating the risks connected with blood transfusion: viral hepatitis, AIDS, blood transfusion reactions, and alloimmunization. Transfusion requirements during cardiac surgical procedures have steadily decreased; nowadays most adult patients require no transfusion during surgery. Patients (pts) receiving bank-blood may develop infectious diseases (hepatitis, AIDS, etc.). We have studied how to avoid the risk of infections with homologous blood transfusions. We present our experience of day-hospital pre-operative autologous blood collection. One-hundred-eighty-nine patients undergoing primary myocardial revascularization or valvular replacement were submitted to the drainage of 350 ml of blood three times every four days before surgery. The blood was centrifuged at once, to separate red cells from plasma. Surgeries were performed 21 days after the first drainage; iron therapy was recommended. After surgery pts received blood only if haematocrit was lower than 28%. The following data were recorded: no. of pts who received homologous blood; blood loss and homologous total blood volume used for each pt. Average blood loss was 1230 cc for ischemic pts and 701 cc for valvular pts. Non-A non B hepatitis occurred in 3/189 pts (1.5%). All of them had received homologous blood transfusions. Our data show clearly that autotransfused pts had a better post-operative period; less bank-blood and fewer transfusions have been used. No pt had collateral effects such as angina or hypotension from blood drawing. Our data show that severe cardiac diseases do not represent an absolute contraindication to heavy blood drainage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Blood Transfusion, Autologous↗
PubMed1988

The amyloid percursor protein of Alzheimer disease is expressed as a 130 kDa polypeptide in various cultured cell types.

The vascular and parenchymal amyloid deposits in Alzheimer disease (AD), normal aging and Down syndrome are mainly composed of a 4 kDa polypeptide (A4), which derives from a larger precursor protein (APP). There is evidence that APP is a transmembrane glycoprotein present in most tissues, but the characteristics of APP in intact cells are not yet known. In order to investigate this issue, we examined the immunoreactivity of fibroblasts of human and nonhuman cell lines with antisera raised to synthetic peptides corresponding to A4 and to two other domains of the APP. All three antisera recognized a 130 kDa polypeptide (APP-130) in immunoblots from all cell lines. In fibroblasts, an additional polypeptide of 228 kDa (APP-228) was recognized by the antiserum to A4. In immunoblots of two dimensional gels, APP-130 showed a pI of 6.2, while APP-228 failed to focus in the pH range of 4.7-7.0. Sequential extractions of cells with buffer and with Triton X-100 indicate that APP-130 is extractable with nonionic detergents at high ionic strength, whereas 228 kDa APP is a cystolic component. Immunofluorescence staining is consistent with an intracellular perinuclear and plasma membrane localization. It is concluded that APP-130 and APP-228 are two forms of the APP which result from extensive posttranslational modifications of a smaller original gene product. It is likely that APP undergoes similar posttranslational modifications in different cell types.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1987

Mechanism of neurotoxic action of beta,beta'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN): N-hydroxylation enhances neurotoxic potency.

The molecular mechanism(s) whereby beta, beta'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) induces an excitatory behavioral syndrome and a distinct alteration of the axonal cytoskeleton in experimental animals is not known. We demonstrate here that upon intraperitoneal administration to rats, the N-hydroxy analog of IDPN (HOIDPN) induces a parallel spectrum of both neurotoxic effects of IDPN and is approximately 8 times more potent than IDPN in this regard. This is consistent with the involvement of a flavin monooxygenase-mediated N-oxygenation pathway in the toxic activation of IDPN.

Animals↗