Biomedical subjects

C Mele

Publications and source records attributed to C Mele.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1995

Production of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) by human endometrial stromal cell is stimulated by the presence of embryos.

PURPOSE: To identify IGFBPs among endometrial secretory products and study their role in implantation and early embryo development. METHODS: Two-cell CB6F1 mouse embryos were cultured alone or with human endometrial stromal cells in RPMI 1640 plus 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) with or without addition of IGF-I (20 micrograms/ml), IGF receptor antibody (0.1 microgram/ml), progesterone (P) (20 ng/ml) and relaxin (R) (20 micrograms/ml). On the designated day, the medium was changed to protein-free RPMI and incubated for 16 h. Both conditioned medium and conditioned protein-free medium were then collected for protein analysis and immunoradiometric assay. Cells were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde for immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: IGFBP1 (31 kDa), IGFBP2 (36 kDa), IGFBP3 (45 kDa and 50 kDa) and an unknown IGFBP (25 kDa) were identified in conditioned medium of human endometrial stromal cells cultured alone or cocultured with mouse embryos. Secretion of IGFBPs by endometrial stromal cells was stimulated in the presence of mouse embryos as well as by P and R. IGFBP3 appears to be more responsive to embryonic signals. On the other hand, the secretion of IGFBP1 was greatly stimulated by P and R. Immunolocalization revealed that all three BPs were present in both embryonic and endometrial cells and their immunological staining was heavily increased by P and R. CONCLUSIONS: Endometrial stromal cells were able to synthesize and secrete IGFBPs to modify IGF action on embryo development. Secretion of IGFBPs was stimulated by embryonic signals and was hormonally dependent. The fact that IGFBP3 was more responsive to embryonic signals suggests that it may be important in early implantation. On the other hand, IGFBP1 production was highly responsive to both P and R, suggesting that it may be important throughout pregnancy. In addition, the fact that IGFBPs were located in endometrial and embryonic cells may suggest that these secretory products have autocrine and/or paracrine effects on both types of cells.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Immunity to diphtheria in the 4-70 year age group in Italy.

Diphtheria antibody level in serum samples obtained from 270 subjects aged 4-70 was measured by in vitro seroneutralization test on Vero cells. Of the studied population, 27.8% had an antibody titre below the protective level (< 0.01 IU/ml). The prevalence of susceptible subjects showed a significant age-related increase (p < 0.01), with the highest value (53.8%) in the 31-40 age group. Mean antibody titre was maximum in individuals aged 13-14, then decreased reaching the minimum level in the 41-50 age group. These data suggest that in individuals aged 30-50, diphtheria immunity is not satisfactory, both for prevalence of immune subjects and for antibody levels. Therefore, a revaccination of adults with reduced doses of diphtheria toxoid may be advisable.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

[A comparative evaluation of the remission from acute lumbar-sciatic pain following treatment with meclofenamic acid and naproxen].

This study was performed to assess the analgesic effect and the onset of action of meclofenamic acid compared with naproxene in patients affected by acute lumbar-sciatic pain. Thirty patients of both sexes were randomly allocated to 2 groups of 15 patients each; the first group was treated with meclofenamic acid (200 mg b.i.d.) and the second with naproxene (500 mg b.i.d.). Both drugs were administered as suppositories for a week. The intensity of pain, both at rest and after movement, was assessed by means of analogic scales at basal time and 15, 30, 60, 180, 360 minutes, 4 and 8 days after the first administration. Both types of pain were significantly decreased with respect to basal values in meclofenamic acid group (P < 0.01), 60 minutes after onset of treatment, while in the naproxene group the effect was later. Moreover the analgesic effect was significantly greater in the meclofenamic acid group with respect to the naproxene group, after 15 minutes for pain at rest (P < 0.05) and after 30 minutes for pain after movement (P < 0.02). Similarly, after 4 and 8 days, both types of pain improved to a larger extent in the meclofenamic acid group with respect to the naproxene group (P < 0.05 after four days and P < 0.01 after eight days). This study has shown that meclofenamic acid has greater efficacy and faster analgesic effect than naproxene. Meclofenamic acid has proved to be a drug of choice in the treatment of slight to moderate musculo-skeletal pain syndromes.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1991

Altered T cell subpopulations and lymphocytes expressing natural killer cell phenotypes in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis.

Scleroderma (progressive systemic sclerosis [PSS]) is known to be associated with abnormal T cell immunoregulation. In the present study, we evaluated lymphocyte phenotypes in patients with PSS and normal control subjects by flow cytometry and monoclonal antibodies for total T (CD3), T suppressor (CD8), T helper (CD4), T helper-inducer (CDw29), T suppressor-inducer (CD45R), human leukocyte antigen, DR+B (CD19), DR+T, and natural killer subsets, HNK-1 (CD57) and NKH-1 (CD56) cells. Patients with PSS compared to normal subjects had significantly lower percentages of CD3+ (p less than 0.005) and CD8+ (p less than 0.05) (similar to several patients with rheumatoid arthritis also evaluated), as well as CD45R (p less than 0.05), T+DR+ (p less than 0.05), and NKH-1 (CD56) (p less than 0.0005) cells. Patients with PSS with late-limited or generalized disease had lower percentages of CD8+, CD19, NKH-1+, and CDw29, but higher percentages of CD4+, HNK-1, and CD45R cells compared to patients with early stage disease, but these results were not statistically significant. These unique alterations in patients with PSS may prove to be useful in monitoring the stage of disease activity for therapy and further define immunologic defects.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Detection of anti-HIV antibodies in immunoglobulin preparations: the significance of antibodies to the HIV-envelope.

Four hundred and sixty-eight immunoglobulin preparations, produced between 1969 and 1989, were examined for anti-HIV antibodies by means of two competitive immunoenzymatic assays and the Western blot test. This study refers the results obtained by the three different methods. Such results show that the detection of anti-HIV antibodies in immunoglobulins may be performed on a routine basis using commercial kits intended for human sera. The meaning of the test and the role of antibodies against the HIV envelope proteins are emphasized.

Blotting, Western↗

PubMed1986

The treatment of acetabular fractures.

The results are reported of 52 acetabular fractures treated surgically and followed up for 6 to 16 years. The cases were sufficiently comparable for statistically significant analysis. Satisfactory results were obtained in 34 cases (65%), and poor in 18 (35%). The poor results were due to: epiphyseal necrosis (8%), secondary arthritis (17%), periarticular ossification (9%). The treatment of these poor results is discussed, including the indications for intertrochanteric osteotomy and, in particular, total hip replacement.

Acetabulum↗

PubMed1984

Thoracic intervertebral disc protrusions.

Intervertebral disc protrusions occur most frequently in the lumbar spine, much less frequently in the cervical spine and very rarely in the thoracic spine. The symptomatology of thoracic protrusions is both aspecific and polymorphic. The diagnosis is therefore difficult and necessarily depends on myelography and computerised axial tomography (CAT scanning). The treatment is surgical and should be undertaken early if pain and neurological damage are to be relieved.

Adult↗

PubMed1981