Biomedical subjects

A Salami

Publications and source records attributed to A Salami.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Static and dynamic posturography in patients with asymptomatic HIV-1 infection and AIDS.

Alterations of the vestibulo-ocular reflex, optokinetic nystagmus, and visuo-vestibular-ocular reflex, have already been described in patients with AIDS and HIV-1 positive asymptomatic subjects. The introduction to the clinical practice of posturographic techniques allows us to study, with precision, postural perturbation that may be present when performing Romberg's test and to study the vestibulo-spinal reflex as a component of the vestibular system. The relative lack of studies on posturography and AIDS, encouraged us to continue our research on the vestibular system both in asymptomatic HIV-1 seropositive patients and in patients with AIDS (IV stage according to the classification proposed by the Centre for Disease Control). Recordings were made in group 1 (control group, 55 normal subjects), in group 2 (15 asymptomatic HIV-positive subjects), and in group 3 (15 patients with AIDS stage IV). Static and dynamic posturography were carried out using Tonnies platform system (Tonnies GmbH & Co., Wurzburg, Germany) and the data were analysed with Tonnies Posturographic Tübingen (TPOST) software vers. 5.19. In asymptomatic HIV+ subjects, we observed an increase in RW, RA and M3 reflex latency. AIDS patients (stage IV) exhibited significant alterations in almost all the posturographic parameters and the electromyographic potentials. Our results validate static and dynamic posturography as a method for otoneurological investigation and appear to confirm that the entire vestibular system is involved since the earliest stages of the HIV infection. In the HIV+ subjects, a variable dysfunction in the reflex control to long latency was observed, which is correlated with the alteration of the central dopaminergic system; in AIDS patients, the central nervous system damage appears more important, globally distributed and correlated also with immunosuppression.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed2003

OSAS in children.

BACKGROUND: Major risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in children include adenotonsillar hypertrophy, neuromuscular disease and syndromes such as Down's or Pierre-Robin's syndrome; there is currently no consensus concerning diagnosis and therapy. METHODS: The study analyses 40 children, aged 2 through 14 years, with macroscopic tonsillar hypertrophy (without recurrent tonsillitis but with OSAS) underwent adenotonsillectomy. Parents were invited to indicate the intensity of their children's symptomatology using a subjective evaluation scale, each patient underwent cephalometric analysis and polysomnography (PSG) before and after surgery. RESULTS: The subjective scale of symptoms passed from 3.01 before treatment to 0.42 after treatment, rhinomanometry, passed from 3.456 to 0.896 p after 1 month the surgical operation (P<0.05). The polysomnography showed a resolution of the number of obstructive events in 37 patients and a reduction in 3 patients and RDI index fell from a mean of 26.9-2.6 after therapy. The average of oxygen saturation changed from 79% before treatment to 95% after therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Adenotonsillectomy plays a major role in the treatment of OSAS.

Adenoidectomy↗

PubMed2003

High frequency surgery in the treatment of turbinate hypertrophy: 11 years' experience.

For over a century, surgical management of lower turbinate hypertrophy has given rise to much discussion. Aim of the present investigation was to establish, by means of the analysis of a large patient population, the efficacy and reproducibility of high frequency surgery in the treatment of this condition. A total of 1689 non-allergic patients with nasal obstruction, presenting hypertrophy of the lower turbinates, were submitted, under local anaesthesia, to turbinates decongestion using a high frequency instrumental unit with a bipolar terminal electrode. Efficacy of the procedure was evaluated on the basis of objective examination, results of questionnaires, active anterior rhinomanometry and mucociliar transport time. Results revealed a reduction of hypertrophy, an improvement in symptoms, a reduction in nasal resistances and an improvement of mucociliar transport time. The large patient population, low post-operative complication rate and the good patient compliance, due also to the fact that no haemostatic procedure is necessary, would suggest that this method is particularly valid, effective and safe for the treatment of hypertrophy of the lower turbinates.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

[Allergic rhinitis: evaluation of prick test positivity for German and American cockroaches (Blatella Germanica, Periplaneta Americana)].

Allergies are a widespread phenomenon and one that is in continuous expansion, especially in large cities. A heretofore underestimated allergen, at least in Italy, is the cockroach. Between April and June 2000, we administered a prick test (including the cockroach antigen in the allergen kit) to 163 patients. The prick test was executed utilizing histamine as the positive control and a normal diluent as the negative control; both indoor allergens (including dermatophagoids and dog and cat epithelium) and outdoor allergens (including trees, grasses, pollens and spores) were employed. The results obtained were evaluated by comparing the reaction provoked by these allergens to that of the histamine. About 20% of the patients who reacted to the other indoor allergens also tested positive to the cockroach antigen. Also on the basis of experiences previously carried out in other countries (United States, Korea, Japan, Turkey), the cockroach must be borne in mind as a possible significant cause of allergic reactions in Italy, too.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

[Behavior of serum IgE and IgA in patients with allergic rhinitis treated with iodine bromide thermal water].

The aim of this study was to test the effects of the iodine bromide water of the thermal baths of Salsomaggiore on patients suffering from specific nonseasonal rhinitis (Dermatophagoides Farinae and Dermatophagoides Pteronyssinus). The patients, 80 in all, were divided in two groups (group A and group B). All of the patients underwent rhinoscopic examination, anterior rhinomanometry, prick test, rast screening, total IgE assay together with that of the other immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, IgG), mucociliary clearance evaluation and were asked to evaluate their degree of nasal obstruction, before and after 30 days of treatment. Group A carried out the experiment by applying endonasal Acqua Sal spray seven times a day for 30 days; group B used oily drops for the same time and with the same frequency. At the end of the trial period, the patients in group A showed a 100% improvement in their subjective perception of their symptomatology, in comparison with a 33% improvement in the control group. A characteristic decrease in the IgE and increase in the IgA was observed in the serum of the patients who had been treated with Acqua Sal spray. Iodine bromide water has a general and local anti-inflammatory effect, which is also due to the activation of the corticosurrenal system (with a relative increase in cortisol). The cleansing action of hypertonic water in the nasal cavities must also be cited, as it minimizes contact between the mucosa and allergens.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Inhibition of eosinophil transepithelial migration and downregulation of adhesion molecule expression on eosinophils and airway epithelial cells induced by budesonide.

In asthma, eosinophil migration through the bronchial mucosa is mediated by the expression of surface molecules on eosinophils and airway epithelial cells. To characterize the activity of budesonide on eosinophil transepithelial migration, blood eosinophils were isolated from atopic asthmatic subjects and human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) from surgically resected bronchi. In the presence of different concentrations of budesonide (0.1-100 nM), we tested: a) eosinophil migration induced by C5a through HBEC monolayers; b) ICAM-1 expression on HBECs, stimulated with C5a and c) LFA-1 and Mac-1 expression on eosinophils, stimulated with C5a or with ah-CD23 mabs plus GM-CSF. Eosinophils showed a remarkable chemotactic response to C5a (P<0.001), that was effectively down-regulated by the presence in the chemotactic chambers of budesonide at all the concentrations tested (P<0.05). A weaker, but still present, inhibitory activity on cell locomotion was observed when HBECs or eosinophils were preincubated with budesonide before the chemotaxis assay, which was performed in absence of the drug. Preincubation of the cells with different concentrations of budesonide was also effective in down-regulating the C5a-induced ICAM-1 expression on HBECs and the ah-CD23 and GM-CSF-induced LFA-1 and Mac-1 expression on eosinophils. Thus, budesonide-induced down-regulation of eosinophil migration through airway epithelial cells is associated with, and possibly partially dependent on inhibition of adhesion molecule expression on both cell types.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

[Study of click-induced vestibule-sternocleidomastoid reflex recorded with surface electromyography].

The otolithic organs serve to control posture and maintain the visual objective during linear accelerations. Recent experimental research in man and animals has suggested that it may be possible to explore the function of these organs by studying the vestibule-sternocleidomastoid reflex induced by high intensity clicks. The aim of the present work was to identify the parameters which are most reproducible in normal subjects and, therefore, best suited to this purpose. The instrument normally used to study evoked auditory potentials (ERA) was used to perform an electromyographic recording at the surface of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) and then average the electromyographic response to short clicks (0.1 ms) introduced through the headphones. In normal subjects clicks at an intensity of 85-100 dB HL evoked a reproducible electromyographic response in the venter of the SCM muscle with an average latency of 8.75 ms. The latency parameter proved to present the most suitable characteristics for possible clinical use. The possibility of using this method to study human vestibular lesions is certainly enticing although further research is needed to better characterize the precise site of origin for the vestibule-sternocleidomastoid reflex.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

[Mid-latency auditory evoked responses in Alzheimer's disease: evaluation of P1 and P3 waves].

A great deal of research has revealed a frequent association between hearing impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Many of these studies have, however, been criticized for the lack of statistical significance, for the methodology used and for doubts regarding the diagnostic criteria used. The lack of uniform results prompted the present research. On the basis of some works in the literature, the authors felt that the study of middle and long-latency auditory evoked potentials, and their expression characterized by the P1 and P3 waves, the appropriate instrument for exploring the cortical and subcortical tracts of the auditory system which are most compromised in Alzheimer's disease. In fact, numerous studies have suggested that wave P1 is generated by peduncle-pontine nucleus cells of the tegmentum and that wave P3 is generated by sites located in the temporal lobes and hippocampus. The present study was conducted on 15 subjects suffering from Alzheimer's disease and 15 controls. Four subjects were excluded from the study because they were affected by Alzheimer's disease with severe dementia and were, thus, unable to cooperate. The 15 controls underwent accurate clinical and instrumental evaluation to rule out any neurological and intellectual disorders. The results for wave P1 show a statistically significant difference between the subjects affected by Alzheimer's disease and the controls. In fact, there was a difference in the presence of this potential. Moreover there was a statistically significant difference in P1 between those patients with average dementia and the controls but not between those with slight dementia and the controls. Finally, comparison of the abnormalities in P1 potential and P3 latency showed that in Alzheimer's disease alterations in P3 arise earlier and are more constant than alterations in P1. The physiopathological meaning of these results is discussed.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Characterization of variables defining hindpaw withdrawal latency evoked by radiant thermal stimuli.

We have examined the stability and sources of variation within the nociceptive model of rat hind paw withdrawal from an under-glass radiant stimulus (Hargreaves et al., 1988) using a system where stimulus intensity and floor temperature can be controlled and reproducibly changed. The current study demonstrates that: (i) increased stimulus intensity with a fixed surface temperature is associated with a monotonic decrease in mean response latency and its variance; (ii) for a fixed stimulus intensity, the mean paw withdrawal latency and variance increased as the glass floor temperature is lowered from 30 degrees C to room temperature (25 degrees C). Using subcutaneously-implanted thermocouples and a 30 degrees C glass surface, the subcutaneous paw temperature observed at an interval corresponding to the time at which the animal displayed a paw withdrawal did not differ across multiple heating rates (41-42.5 degrees C). This finding is in agreement with human studies of pain thresholds and C-fiber activity. These studies emphasize the importance of maintaining a fixed surface temperature to reduce experimental variability and the utility of this apparatus across multiple stimulus intensities to define agonist efficacy.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1996

[Optokinetic nystagmus and visual-vestibular interaction in subjects with "whiplash injuries"].

We studied the behaviour of Vestibular Nystagmus (VOR), of Optokinetic Nystagmus (OKN) and of Visuo-Vestibular-Ocular-Reflex (VVOR) in seven normal subjects and in thirty-two patients who had undergone cervical trauma in an automobile accident with the so called "whiplash mechanism". Thirteen subjects underwent examination within the first three months after the accident (first group), six subjects between the third and the sixth months (third group). Ocular movements was recorded according to the usual method by means of a Tonnies electronystagmograph with eight channels. The subjects, head blocked, sat on a Tonnies rotatory chair Pro model which was placed in the middle of a rotatory cylindrical chamber 2 metres in diameter and 1.9 metres in height. The width internal area was covered with thirty-two black vertical contrast. The rotatory cylinder was lighted from above by a 100 W bulb and was driven by a direct current engine which turned it clockwise and counterclockwise up to 200 degrees/sec., maximum speed, with preset acceleration ranging from 1 degree to 2 degrees/sec. All the subjects underwent to Rotatory Vestibular Stimulation by Stop test from a constant angular velocity of 90 degrees/sec. with clockwise and counterclockwise rotation, "stare type" Optokinetic stimulation with a cylinder rotation velocity of 30 degrees/sec. for 60 seconds and to contemporary Rotatory Vestibular and Optokinetic Stimulation (VVOR) so that OKN was VOR counterdirectional. The results of our experience show a statistically significative mean gain decrease of VOR and VVOR nystagmus (beating OKN direction) calculated on the first three beats in the patients of the first group and a significative increase of OKN mean gain in all the patients of the three groups. Furthermore, in sixteen out of thirty-two patients (seven in the first group, two in the second and seven in the third) we observed (during VVOR examination, immediately after stop) a nystagmus beating VOR direction lasting from 3 to 15 seconds.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

[Dynamic posturography in normal subjects].

The relative lack of data on the dynamic posturography led us to start a study in order to give our contributions to the standardization of M1, M2, M3, response parameters in normal subjects. Our research was carried out on 35 normal subjects aged 21 to 50. All of them were standing in Romberg's position on a Tönnies model board in a normally lit and ventilated room. We performed two tests: the first one open-eyed staring at no point, the second, 5 minutes later, closed-eyed. The EMG signals were obtained by surface electrodes on triceps sural and front tibial muscles. The EMG recording was determined by a "tilt" movement of the board at a steady speed of 50 per sec. and 4 wide. We use a XT 286 IBM computer with "T POST" software for checking and testing the data. Our results showed a significant variation in the value of the duration parameter in open-eyed and closed-eyed tests. Latency and area values were inferior to those obtained by other authors, except for Diener and Dichgans (3) whose results differ in latency value only.

Electromyography↗

PubMed1990

[Effects of tiaprofenic acid on nasal mucociliary transport time].

Mucociliary activity is a fundamental aspect of the clearance function of the respiratory tract; mucociliary transport time being the easiest parameter to record in regard to the overall, more complex function of nasal clearance. A double blind, multicenter randomized study was carried out on 40 rhinopathy patients divided into two groups and treated with tiaprofenic acid 300 mg or a placebo twice a day for seven consecutive days. Before and after treatment the following were recorded: subjective and objective nasal MCT time, using an original composition of vegetable charcoal powder and saccharin powder at 3%; nasal obstruction. The authors conclude that the treatment of rhinitis with tiaprofenic acid improved not only the clinical symptomatology but also the mucociliary transport time and rhinomanometric examination.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1978

Kinetics of analgesic response in man; an example with two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic drugs.

A double-blind, controlled trial is described in which a total of forty hospital in-patients suffering from severe post-operative pain were randomly allocated to treatment with one of two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, namely, either indoprofen which has a short half-life (two-hours) or naproxen which has a long half-life (thirteen hours). The drugs were administered orally on a single-dose basis. The doses used in this way were 300 mg of indoprofen or 250 mg of naproxen. Patients scored the severity of their pain on a five-point scale and these scores were recorded prior to and at fixed time intervals up to eight hours following administration of medication. No significant differences emerged between the two test drugs and the duration of the response was also found to be similar for the two compounds despite their very different plasma half-life values.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1972