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Biomedical subjects

C Anichini

Publications and source records attributed to C Anichini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

TEM, FISH and molecular studies in infertile men with pericentric inversion of chromosome 9.

Pericentric inversions involving the secondary constriction (qh) region of chromosome 9 are considered to be normal variants of human karyotype. A number of investigators have suggested that chromosomal anomalies can contribute to human infertility causing spermatogenetic derangement. The present study was aimed at verifying the influence of chromosome 9 inversion on human spermatogenesis. Semen samples of 18 male carriers of chromosome 9 inversion, analysed by light microscopy, revealed that five patients were azoospermic. PCR analysis demonstrated that two of them also had Y microdeletions. The other 13 showed generally normal sperm concentrations and reduced motility. The morphological characteristics of sperm were studied by TEM and the data were elaborated by a mathematical formula. Sperm pathologies resulted more frequently in the studied group compared to controls, particularly apoptosis. Partial sequences of the A-kinase anchoring protein (Akap) 4 and 3 genes were performed in all patients, as a previous study by our group highlighted Dysplasia of Fibrous Sheath (DFS) defect in two men with inv 9 investigations. The possible effect of chromosome 9 inversion on meiotic chromosome segregation was investigated by FISH, which showed an increased incidence of diploidy. We hypothesized that this inversion could have variable effects on spermatogenesis, from azoospermia to severely altered sperm morphology, motility and meiotic segregation.

Adolescent↗

Chromosome 18 aberrations and epilepsy: a review.

Epilepsy is commonly observed in patients with chromosomal aberrations. We evaluated epilepsy and electroencephalographic (EEG) features in a group of patients carrying aberrations of chromosome 18. Fourteen patients were recruited: five with an 18p deletion syndrome (18pDS); six with an 18q deletion syndrome (18qDS); two with trisomy 18p syndrome; and one with a 45,XY,t(17-18) (cen-q11.2) karyotype. Patients with 18pDS had neither epilepsy nor EEG anomalies; four patients with 18qDS had epilepsy with partial seizures occurring during infancy or early childhood. Partial seizures were also present in both patients with trisomy 18p. By contrast, mixed seizures were observed in the patient carrying a translocation between chromosomes 17 and 18. Our data and a re-evaluation of the literature suggest that epilepsy is infrequent in patients with 18pDS. Conversely, partial seizures and focal EEG anomalies may be observed in those with patients with 18qDS. Our observations suggest that the haplo-insufficiency of genes located on the long arm of chromosome 18 is more likely to be associated with epilepsy, than is haplo-insufficiency of genes located on the short arm. While further EEG/clinical investigations are needed to validate these observations, this study indicates a possible relationship between chromosome 18 genes and epilepsy.

Adolescent↗

[Approach to the study of vasculitides: general aspects and classification].

Since etiology and pathogenesis of most systemic and/or isolated vasculitides are unknown, any attempt to make a rational classification of these entities is far from being perfect. Vasculitis may be a primary disease or it may be associated with connective tissue diseases, infectious diseases, neoplasms, drug assumption, allograft rejection and so on. As secondary vasculitides constitute the majority of cases, diagnosis of primary vasculitis is made by exclusion. At the present time, the 1993 Chapel Hill Consensus Conference on Nomenclature of Primary Vasculitides provides a useful guide to clinician and pathologist for evaluating a patient with an idiopathic form of vasculitis. This classification is based on the predominant size of vessels affected and describes the main clinico-pathologic features of the various clearly defined types of systemic vasculitis. Though it suffers from omissions and contradictions, in routine practice it is of great help to distinguish diseases in this intriguing chapter of pathology.

Humans↗

Facial hemangioma and malformation of the cortical development: a broadening of the PHACE spectrum or a new entity?

Facial hemangioma is usually isolated but its association with craniocervical arterial anomalies and structural brain malformations is well known. The acronym PHACE syndrome (posterior fossa malformation, facial hemangiomas, arterial anomalies, cardiac/aortic anomalies, and eye abnormalities) has been used to indicate that disorder in which brain anomalies are mainly represented by the Dandy-Walker malformation. We report on a 10-month-old boy affected by facial hemangioma and a complex cortical dysplasia located in the left frontal region. The lesion was characterized by a deeply infolding pachygyric cortex and a band of gray matter lining the wall of the lateral ventricle. The entire left cerebral hemisphere appeared hypoplastic. No anomalies of the posterior fossa structures or cardiac/aortic malformations were present. An overlapping clinical/pathological pattern was previously reported in another patient with facial hemangioma and cerebrovascular anomalies. These observations seem to indicate that the facial hemangiomas may be associated with disorders of the cortical development.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

De novo double translocation 3;13 and 4;8;18 in a patient with mental retardation and skeletal abnormalities.

A de novo, apparently balanced complex chromosome rearrangement (CCR) involving five chromosomes and six chromosome breakpoints was found in a child with Marfanoid habitus, kyphoscoliosis, axillary pterygium, camptodactyly, joint laxity, and mild mental retardation. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) revealed a simple translocation involving chromosomes 3 and 13, and a complex rearrangement involving chromosomes 4, 8, and 18 with four breakpoints.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Carcinomas of sweat glands: report of 60 cases.

CONTEXT: Several aspects of sweat gland carcinomas (incidence, classification, diagnosis, and behavior) have not been definitively clarified and need to be studied further. OBJECTIVE: The clinicopathologic findings of a large series of sweat gland carcinomas, collected during a period of 15 years, are presented. METHODS: Sixty sweat gland carcinomas (41 porocarcinomas, 3 syringomatous carcinomas, 8 ductal carcinomas, 5 adenoid cystic carcinomas, and 3 mucinous carcinomas) were analyzed histologically and immunohistochemically. RESULTS: Porocarcinomas were composed of eosinophilic and clear atypical cells arranged in solid-cystic lobular masses. These tumors were divided into 2 subgroups: horizontal porocarcinomas, showing a prominent intraepidermal component, and nodular porocarcinomas, which demonstrated predominant nodular growth. Syringomatous carcinomas presented keratinizing and nonkeratinizing cysts, dilated tubules (sometimes with a "tadpole" appearance), small neoplastic ducts, solid islands, and cellular cords. Ductal carcinomas were characterized by a prominent formation of tubules, solid islands, and cellular cords. Adenoid cystic carcinomas presented a characteristic pattern, showing basaloid monomorphous cells with moderately atypical nuclei, arranged in cribriform or solid islands and in tubular structures. Mucinous carcinomas were composed of moderately atypical cells with eosinophilic vacuolated cytoplasm, forming solid and cystic islands floating in large mucin pools. Immunohistochemically, cytokeratin was found in neoplastic cells in all cases, carcinoembryonic antigen was detected in 73% of cases, and actin-positive (myoepithelial) cells were not found. CONCLUSIONS: Although numerous studies have been published in recent years, the histologic features, histogenesis, and classification of sweat gland carcinomas still remain controversial and need to be clarified by further studies.

Acrospiroma↗

Pubertal disorders in inv dup(15) syndrome.

Duplication of chromosome 15 (inv dup[15] chromosome) is the most common supernumerary marker chromosome in humans. Inv dup(15) chromosomes are commonly associated with mental retardation, epilepsy, behavioral problems and structural malformations. Ten patients (4 male, 6 female) were detected with inv dup(15) syndrome. At clinical follow-up three girls showed pubertal disorders: two with central precocious puberty and one with ovarian dysgenesis. As has already been found in other patients with chromosome 15p abnormalities, we believe that gynecological disorder is an important clinical finding also in patients with inv dup(15) syndrome. We report the first data of a systematic endocrinological study on inv dup(15) syndrome which suggest that endocrine investigation in these patients is both warranted and useful. Moreover, our observations confirm that a karyotype analysis in patients in whom precocious puberty is associated with mental retardation is mandatory.

Adolescent↗

Intravenous leiomyoma with cardiac involvement.

We report a case of intravenous leiomyomatosis (IVL) in a 44-year-old woman, presenting with cardiothoracic clinical manifestations. Such a rare neoplastic condition most often arises from the uterine veins. At times it may reach the right cavities of the heart and it must be considered in the differential diagnosis with a cardiac myxoma or a thrombus.

Adult↗

MIB-1 proliferation index correlates with survival in pleural malignant mesothelioma.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to establish whether the cell proliferation index assessed by the monoclonal antibody MIB-1 would correlate with survival in pleural malignant mesothelioma. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied a series of seven long-term survivors with pleural malignant mesothelioma and a group of control cases with short-term survival. All cases showed MIB-1 positive cells, and labelling indices were expressed as percentage of cells with positive nuclear immunostaining by randomly counting 1000 tumour cells. A statistically significant difference was found between MIB-1 values in the long-term survival group and the control cases with short-term survival. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the differences in biological behaviour of malignant mesothelioma in long-term and short-term survivors may be explained in part by differences in tumour growth fraction and that proliferation index could represent an important prognostic parameter for this tumour.

Adult↗

Central precocious puberty and abnormal chromosomal patterns.

Central precocious puberty (PP) can be caused by chromosomal aberrations. We report three patients presenting with central PP in whom karyotype analysis demonstrated abnormal chromosomal patterns. The first patient was affected by the triple-X syndrome, commonly characterized by premature ovarian failure. The second patient, a girl with inv dup(15)(pter-->q12::q12-->pter), had a chromosomal aberration involving an imprinted region of the human genome, whose deletion is commonly associated with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. The third patient was a boy carrying a rare chromosome abnormality, the duplication of chromosome 9 (q22-->qter). All patients had mental retardation, which was mild in patient 1, moderate in patient 2, and severe in case 3. They underwent treatment with luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) analogs, which were able to stop the progression of the sexual development. We confirm that chromosomal aberrations are an important cause of central PP, and that karyotype analysis in patients with PP and mental retardation, even if mild, is necessary because chromosomal abnormalities can be present.

Journal Article↗

[A variety of mediastinal bronchogenic cyst: the broncho-alveolar cyst].

Congenital bronchogenic cysts are usually located in the mediastinum or develop as intrapulmonary cysts. Gross examination of excised bronchogenic cysts shows them to be unilocular; histologically, these lesions are characterized by the presence of respiratory-type pseudostratified epithelium as well as small islands of cartilage and seromucinous glands. We report a case of a mediastinal bronchogenic cyst having pulmonary parenchyma within the cyst wall. The rarity of our case, the pathological and clinical features and the embryological development of bronchogenic cysts are briefly discussed.

Adult↗

[Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis. A case report].

We describe a patient with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) who saw a Rheumatologist because of joint and muscle pain in the lower limbs. Clinical examination did not reveal any classic joint disease; however, tendon lesions and clumsy gait were noted. The patient presented with a swollen Achilles tendon bilaterally and a parapareto-spastic gait; Babinski sign was positive on the right side, and hyperreflexia of both lower limbs could be demonstrated. As bilateral cataracts were present, we have interpreted the aforementioned signs as CTX with spinal involvement; mean plasma cholesterol was increased, thus confirming the diagnosis. The primary biochemical abnormality of this disease is a defect in the synthesis of bile acids; therefore, chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) has been tried, and beneficial effects following CDCA treatment, especially in the early stages of CTX, have been reported in the literature. We report this case because of the severity and the rarity of this disease, and also because of its hereditary transmission. Our aim is to underline the need of a precocious diagnosis, in order to prevent a further progression of the disease; this therapeutic goal can now be achieved, thanks to the therapeutic regimens recently developed.

Achilles Tendon↗