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Biomedical subjects

A Nicoli

Publications and source records attributed to A Nicoli.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Lower embryonic loss rates among twin gestations following assisted reproduction.

PURPOSE: To determine whether maternal age and number of transferred embryos influence early pregnancy losses in twin pregnancies compared to singletons following IVF/ICSI. METHODS: We compared the pregnancy loss rates in singleton (n = 549) and twin (n = 252) gestations, stratified by maternal age (< or = 35 and > 35 years) and the number of transferred embryos (1-3 and 4-9). RESULTS: Loss rates of singleton pregnancies were significantly higher than that in twins (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.9, 4.9), especially among singletons conceived after transfer of 4-9 embryos (OR 5.0, 95% CI 2.2, 11.9). Younger mothers of twins had lower loss rates (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1, 0.9). CONCLUSION: Twins have a significantly reduced spontaneous miscarriage rate compared with singletons following IVF/ICSI. Higher implantation rates per cycle (i.e., development of twins rather than one live embryo) may represent a better capacity of the uterus for early embryonic development.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed2005

Epitope analysis of immunoglobulins against gp20, a GPI-anchored protein of the human sperm surface homologous to leukocyte antigen CD52.

Gp20 is a sialylglycoprotein of the human sperm surface related to maturation and capacitation and is homologous to CD52, a glycosyl- phosphatidyl-inositol (GPI)-anchored protein highly expressed in lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and epididymal cells, described by the monoclonal antibody family CAMPATH. The CAMPATH antigen is characterized by a very short peptide (12 amino acids) and an N-linked oligosaccharide chain bound to the asparagine located in the third position and a GPI anchor bound to the C-terminal serine. The CAMPATH epitope includes three amino acids at the C-terminus and part of the GPI anchor. It has been suggested that anti-gp20 interacts with the same peptide recognized by CAMPATH antibodies but with a different epitope, since it describes the corresponding antigen in a different way. For example, it localizes the corresponding antigen in the equatorial region of the sperm head when sperm are capacitated, whereas CAMPATH antibodies bind all over the sperm surface. Our results indicate that the anti-gp20 epitope does not include the peptide backbone, the GPI anchor, or the N-glycans but consists of O-linked oligosaccharide chains bound to a unique CD52 glycoform present both in sperm and leukocytes. This is suggested by results obtained using many different approaches, such as immunoblot analysis of gp20 after removal of N- and O-glycans and after jacalin (Artocarpus integrifolia agglutinin)-affinity chromatography.

Alemtuzumab↗
PubMed2005

Barriers to effective tuberculosis control: a qualitative study.

SETTING: Emilia Romagna region, Italy. OBJECTIVE: To explore chest and infectious disease physicians' views of barriers to effective tuberculosis (TB) control and possible solutions. DESIGN: A series of nine focus groups including a total of 49 physicians. RESULTS: Three categories of barriers to effective TB control were identified: 1) uncertainty about appropriate clinical practice in the treatment of specific sub-groups of patients, such as the elderly or immigrants; 2) organisational factors, such as the availability of diagnostic services and of sufficient resources; and 3) multiple barriers to a viable and effective TB control programme in a country with a low prevalence of TB. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of integration and coordination of health services, as well as the scarcity of dedicated TB nurses, were perceived by the participants as crucial barriers to effective TB control. As a result of this study, a regional programme was started with the goals of quantifying the need for TB nurses and developing a better network for required health services. Qualitative studies such as this can be useful in improving TB control in a low-prevalence TB country, to identify problems and increase the participation of key professionals.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Infection by BK virus, a human papovavirus, in immunosuppressed children and in children with normal immunological defenses (author's transl)].

Human infection by BK virus (BKV), a human papovavirus isolated from the urine of a transplanted patient, occurs early in life and is very widespread. The clinical features of the primary infection are unknown. After the primary infection, BKV remains latent in the host tissues. Immunosuppression of the host induces the activation of the latent virus; BKV has been isolated only from immunosuppressed patients so far. In our study the incidence of BKV infection in immunosuppressed children and in children with normal immunological defenses was investigated both by antibody and virus research, the cultural research of the virus being performed in the urine and other specimens, such as nasal-pharyngeal swabs and cerebrospinal fluids. Our results show that the incidence of the primary infection in immunosuppressed children is comparable to the incidence in children with normal immunological defenses. Two antigenically identical viruses, which showed only partial correlation with BKV, were isolated from the urine of two immunosuppressed children. These two viruses were considered as a same antigenic variant of the BKV prototype. Of all the subjects examined, only 9 immunosuppressed children had antibodies to the newly isolated viruses.

Adolescent↗