Biomedical subjects

B Campisi

Publications and source records attributed to B Campisi.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1999

Screening of high shear mixer melt granulation process variables using an asymmetrical factorial design.

The effects of process conditions on the granulometric characteristics of a placebo formulation prepared in a 10 l high shear mixer by single-step melt granulation were studied. The factors under investigation were: binder grade, mixer load, presence of the deflector (all of analysed at two levels), binder concentration, impeller speed, massing time, type of impeller blades (these four at three levels) and jacket temperature (considered at four levels). Two granule characteristics were analysed: the geometric mean diameter and the percentage of particles finer than 315 microm. In order to screen simultaneously the above-mentioned factor levels, an asymmetrical factorial design was adopted, which allowed the reduction in the number of runs from 2592 to 25. Additionally, this technique permitted the selection of the factor levels which have the major 'weight' on the two granule characteristics under study. Two additional trials were performed to attest the screening validity.

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical↗

PubMed1998

Experimental design for a pharmaceutical formulation: optimisation and robustness.

In pharmaceutical industries, the formulator is usually faced with the optimisation of the excipient mixture composition aimed to prepare a product with the required characteristics. Experimental research methodology represents an efficient approach for solving such optimisation problems. Planning mixture experiments using specific designs allows to analyse the blending properties of each mixture component and estimate an empirical model approximating the response of interest as a function of excipient proportions. In this study the evolution of theophylline solubility in a four-component system with constraints was analysed using two mixture design approaches: a classical mixture component proportion approach and a mathematically independent variable approach. An optimal region characterised by high solubility values was found and further explored in order to verify the insensitivity of theophylline solubility to slight variations of the excipient mixture composition.

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical↗

PubMed1995

Comparative immunoblot analysis with ten different, partially overlapping recombinant fusion proteins derived from five different cytomegalovirus proteins.

Ten fusion proteins derived from five various CMV encoded proteins were used for the detection of specific antibody response by immunoblot technique in sera from renal transplant recipients. The fusion proteins were derived from the following CMV specific proteins: the assembly protein ppUL80a with an apparent molecular weight of 38 kD, ppUL99 (MW of 28 kD), the basic phosphoprotein ppUL32 (MW of 150 kD), the lower matrix protein ppUL83 (65 kD), and the DNA binding protein ppUL44 (MW of 52 kD). Some fragments overlapped and responses to these recombinant proteins were compared. Antibody responses appeared to be predominately directed at fusion proteins of ppUL32, the basic phosphoprotein and at ppUL44, the major DNA binding protein. Some differences were found in the responses to these partly overlapping fusion proteins. In addition, an IgM response mainly present in primary infections to fusion proteins XP1 and G2, again representing ppUL32 and ppUL44, was found.

Antibodies, Viral↗

PubMed1994

Human cytomegalovirus replication correlates with differentiation in a hematopoietic progenitor cell line and can be modulated by HIV-1.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection of a CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cell line (TF1) was studied before and after TPA differentiation. TF1 cells were found to be infected but the virus does not replicate, while differentiated TF1 cells can be infected and allow HCMV complete replication. In the same system we studied the interaction between HCMV and HIV and found that while contact between HIV gp 120 and the HCMV-infected cell has an inhibitory effect, exogenous Tat protein stimulates HCMV replication. The interaction between HCMV and HIV in hematopoietic progenitor cells is complex and depends on several factors that can have opposite effects.

Antigens, CD↗

PubMed1994

Prokaryotic expression of a large fragment of the most antigenic cytomegalovirus DNA-binding protein (ppUL44) and its reactivity with human antibodies.

We isolated and characterized from a lambda gt11 expression library clones expressing portions of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-p52. This nonstructural viral protein is encoded by UL44 and is known to be one of the best IgM reactive antigens. The reactivity of these clones was studied with human antibody and the gene fragment coding for the most immune-reactive portion of p52 (aa 202-434) was cloned in a prokaryotic expression vector, pROS, which overexpresses the antigen as a fusion protein to a truncated molecule of beta-galactosidase.

Antibodies, Viral↗

PubMed1994

An in vivo study on active cytomegalovirus infection in relation to active HIV replication in HIV-I infected drug addicts.

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major cause of severe disease in HIV-infected persons and some findings suggest that it may accelerate HIV disease. In this study, a total of 621 blood samples from patients with LAS-ARC and AIDS were analysed in parallel for CMV and HIV-I antigenaemias. Results indicate that the presence of CMV antigenaemia and the presence of HIV-I p24 in the blood are highly correlated statistically and encourage other studies on the role of CMV in the evolution of AIDS. In a smaller group of cases, CMV was also isolated from saliva and/or urine. The correlation with HIV replication was positive (although much lower) with CMV detected in saliva and completely negative with CMV isolated from urine.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1992

Enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay for the detection of cytomegalovirus-IgM: comparison between eight commercial kits, immunofluorescence, and immunoblotting.

Eight commercially available enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assays (ELISA) for the detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific IgM were used in parallel to determine the presence of CMV-IgM in 123 serum samples from pregnant women. The results obtained with the eight kits were compared. Based on concordance of six or more of the eight kits, we assessed sensitivity, specificity, and overall agreement, as well as incidence of false-positive and -negative results for each kit. The results obtained by ELISA were then compared with those obtained by immunofluorescence (IF) and immunoblotting (IB). Our study did not single out one outstanding ELISA kit among the eight evaluated, nor did it suggest that IF or IB are better than ELISA. Furthermore our results indicate that IB might be useful in several cases as, beside its good sensitivity, most IB-false-positive sera are easily recognized as reacting exclusively with pp150, the unique reactivity to pp150 not being among the IB profiles of IB-true-positive sera. Nevertheless 14.6% of sera remained CMV-IgM-indeterminate.

Antibodies, Viral↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Characterization of balsamic vinegar by multivariate statistical analysis of trace element content.

To characterize vinegars according to the types prescribed by Italian regulations, 8 trace elements (Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) were determined. The data collected were successively elaborated by 3 statistical techniques: linear principal component analysis (LPCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and cluster analysis (CA). LDA and LPCA best classified and discriminated the 3 types of vinegar under study, separating traditional balsamic vinegars from the other 2 types, nontraditionally aged balsamic vinegars and common vinegars. The latter 2 types were appreciably distinguished only by LDA through bidimensional analysis of discriminant scores.

Acetic Acid↗