Splenosis: 99mTc-labelled colloids provide the diagnosis in splenectomised patients.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
Bruno Bagni
Publications and source records attributed to Bruno Bagni.
Nuclear medicine imaging of inflammatory/infective disorders of the abdomen.
Different nuclear medicine modalities are currently used to study inflammatory and infective disorders of the abdomen. They are usually complementary to radiology and endoscopy, but they play a pivotal role in particular clinical situations. Several radiopharmaceuticals (e.g., 111In or 99mTc labelled white blood cells, monoclonal antibodies, human polyclonal immunoglobulins, 75Ga citrate) are commercially available, but they can not be used indifferently to study abdominal inflammatory disorders. The lack of comparative studies showing the accuracy of each radiopharmaceutical for the study of inflammatory/infective abdominal diseases does not allow the best nuclear medicine technique(s) to be chosen in an evidence-based manner. To this end we performed a meta-analysis of peer reviewed articles published between 1984 and 2004 describing the use of nuclear medicine imaging for the study of inflammatory bowel disorders, appendicitis and vascular graft infections. A guideline for the optimal radiopharmaceutical(s) to be used in each clinical condition and for different aims is provided.
Abdomen↗
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor/transferrin fusion protein: in vivo production and functional evaluation as a potential therapeutic tool for lowering plasma LDL cholesterol.
A soluble form of human low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R) fused in frame with rabbit transferrin (LDL-Rs(hu)/Tf(rab)) is assessed in vivo as a therapeutic tool for lowering plasma LDL cholesterol. The cDNA encoding LDL-Rs(hu)/Tf(rab) is expressed in mice, using a hydrodynamics-based gene transfer procedure. The transgene is transcribed in the liver of transduced animals and the corresponding protein is secreted into the bloodstream. Circulating LDL-Rs(hu)/Tf(rab) binds LDL specifically, thus indicating that it is correctly processed through the cellular compartments in vivo. More importantly, the expression of LDL-Rs(hu)/Tf(rab) allows the removal of injected human (125)I-labeled LDL ((123)I-LDL) from the bloodstream of transduced CD1 mice, which show faster LDL plasma clearance, anticipating by approximately 90 min the same clearance value observed in control animals. A similar effect is observed in transduced LDL-R(-/-) mice, in which the clearance of injected human LDL depends solely on the presence of circulating LDL-Rs(hu) /Tf(rab). In these animals the extent of plasma LDL clearance is directly related to the concentration of LDL-Rs(hu)/Tf(rab) in the blood. Finally, LDL-Rs(hu)/Tf(rab) does not alter the pattern of LDL organ distribution: in transduced animals, as well as in control animals, liver and bladder are the predominantly labeled organs after (123)I-LDL injection. However, LDL-Rs(hu)/Tf(rab) has a quantitative effect on LDL tissue deposition: in treated animals LDL-Rs(hu)/Tf(rab) determines an increase in radioactivity in the liver at early times after (123)I-LDL injection and a progressive labeling of the bladder, starting 20 min after injection.
Animals↗
Functional, structural, and distribution analysis of the chorionic gonadotropin receptor using murine monoclonal antibodies.
LH and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) control steroid production and gametogenesis. They also function as growth factors through interaction with a specific receptor that is a member of the seven-transmembrane receptor family coupled via G proteins to signal pathways involving cAMP and phospholipase C/inositol 3 phosphate. For this study, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were raised against the human LH receptor (LHR)/hCG receptor (hCGR), using Chinese hamster ovary LHR-transfected cells as the immunogen. Two reagents were then selected on the basis of their ability to recognize the full-length transmembrane receptor expressed both by Chinese hamster ovary LHR-transfected cells and by a limited number of tumor cell lines. One of these mAbs reacts with the LHR/hCGR in tissue sections of both frozen and paraffin-embedded specimens. This unique feature allowed us to map the cytological distribution of LHR/hCGR in human breast tissues at different stages of development in physiological and benign pathological conditions. The same mAb proved to be agonistic: receptor ligation elicits signals that modulate the growth of selected breast tumor cell lines. This observation suggests that the mAb recognizes an epitope that is included in the domain of the receptor involved in the interaction with the natural ligand.
Animals↗
Geometry and bone mass in primary hyperparathyroidism assessed by peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography (pQCT).
PURPOSE: Non-invasive measurement by peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) of bone geometry, biomechanics, and mineral content in patients (pts) with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total, trabecular and cortical mineral density (totBMD, cortBMD, trab BMD), bone geometrical properties (total area, trabecular area, cortical area, cortical/total area) and cortical thickness as biomechanical parameters, were assessed by pQCT at distal radius in 38 (32 F; 6 M) consecutive patients with PHPT (mean age: 62 yrs; range: 30-77). In a subgroup of 12 patients, bone mineral density (BMD) was also measured by means of dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the lumbar spine (L2-L4). RESULTS: Serum biochemical characteristics were: iPTH (269+/-214 pg/ml; range: 107-1438, normal: 30-65), Calcium (11.4+/-1.1 mg/dl; range: 10.6-13.5, normal: 8.1-10.4) and Alkaline Phosphatase (398+/- 392 U/L; range:173-1174, normal: 98-279). Compa-red with 87 healthy age-matched subjects, total, trabecular and cortical bone densities were reduced in all patients (TotBMD: 216+/-92 mg/cm(3) vs ctr 342+/-94, -37%, p<0.05; TrabBMD: 93+/-51 mg/cm(3) vs ctr 140+/-54, -34%, p <0.01; CorBMD: 711+/-178 mg/cm(3) vs ctr 802+/-175, -11%, p<0.02), such as cortical thickness (0.143+/-0.02 cm vs ctr 0.157+/-0.03, -9%, p<0.02). Among geometrical parameters, only cortical/total area was significant different in the two groups (0,29 vs 0.31; p<0.04). A strong correlation was found between peripheral trabecular bone density assessed by pQCT and axial bone mineral density measured by DXA at L2-L4 (r=0.80; p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: pQCT measurements in PHPT showed: 1) osteopoenia in all bone compartments partly related to age and menopause; 2) reduced cortical density and cortical thickness consistent with "cancellization" of the inner cortex and lower ability of bone to absorb loading forces. DXA measurements showed osteopoenia also at the lumbar spine, a site rich in trabecular bone. PQCT allowing selective assessment of true volumetric cortical and trabecular bone density such as bone geometry, is proposable in clinical practice, in order to evaluate presurgical bone "status" and to monitor the response to parathyroidectomy.
Absorptiometry, Photon↗
Multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of metabolic and morphologic alterations of HIV-related lipodystrophy.
BACKGROUND: Treatment for metabolic and morphologic alterations in HIV-related lipodystrophy include medical therapy, physical exercise, and surgical interventions. METHOD: We assessed the efficacy and safety of a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach for treating morphological and metabolic alterations of the lipodystrophy syndrome in consecutive patients attending the Metabolic Clinic (MC) of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia who had at least 2 evaluations over a 48-week period. 245 patients were evaluated: 143 (62.4%) were men, 74 (36.1%) presented with lipoatrophy, 10 (4.9%) with fat accumulation, 93 (45%) with mixed forms, 24 (11.3%) had hypercholesterolemia (LDL >160 mg/dL), 87 (38%) had hypertriglyceridemia (TG >150 mg/dL), 13 (5.7%) had diabetes (glucose >126 mg/dL), and 78 (44%) had insulin resistance (HOMA-IR >4). RESULTS: At follow-up, a significant improvement was observed in both objective and subjective variables. Anthropometric improvement was observed in waist to hip ratio, waist circumference, and right and left cheek dermal thickness measurements. A nonsignificant improvement was observed in fat and lean regional mass by DEXA; CT showed improvement in visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Glucose, HOMA-IR, total cholesterol, and APO B improved. Subjective variables improved in aesthetic satisfaction. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the medical and surgical interventions proposed in this multidisciplinary therapeutic approach are efficacious and safe in the management of lipodystrophy.
Adult↗
Screening for silent ischemia with coronary artery calcium and nuclear stress testing in nondiabetic patients prior to kidney transplant.
Whether coronary artery calcium (CAC) screening in pretransplant patients may help predict silent myocardial ischemia is unknown. Accordingly, we performed CAC imaging on 46 nondiabetic patients awaiting kidneytransplant. All patients underwent multidetector computed tomography imaging for CAC quantification, and a vasodilator myocardial perfusion stress (MPS) test was performed only in patients with a total CAC score>300 or>100 in a single coronary artery. The mean patient's age was 46+/-14 years and the median dialysis vintage was 33 months (interquartile range 19-53). The median CAC score was 82 (interquartile range 0-700) and correlated with patients' age (p=0.006) and dialysis vintage (p=0.02). Nineteen patients qualified for MPS, but 5 refused the test. Of the remaining 14 patients, 7 patients had normal scans and 7 showed a minimal perfusion defect in the inferoposterior segment of the left ventricle. At the time of writing, 12 patients have undergone successful kidney transplantation without untoward complications. CAC screening does not appear to be associated with silent ischemia in pretransplant patients. Though CAC is extensive in dialysis patients, calcium may be associated with nonobstructive atherosclerotic lesions or calcification of the media layer of the vessel wall.
Adult↗