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Biomedical subjects

C Ortolani

Publications and source records attributed to C Ortolani.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Selective deficiency of CD4+/CD45RA+ lymphocytes in patients with ataxia-telangiectasia.

Several immunological abnormalities have been observed in ataxia-telangiectasia (AT), the most consistent being defects of immunoglobulin isotypes, decreased T-cell numbers, and reduced proliferative responses to mitogens. We examined the distribution of T lymphocytes expressing distinctive surface Ag characteristic of "naive" (CD45RA+) and "memory" (CD29+, CD45RO+) T cells, in both CD4+ and CD8+ (bright and dim) lymphocytes from 13 AT patients, compared with healthy age-matched controls. We found that, irrespective of age, patients with AT had a severe deficiency of CD4+/CD45RA+ lymphocytes. This decrease accounted for the reduction of total CD4+ cells, since the absolute numbers of memory CD4+ cells were not significantly different in AT and in controls. Functional tests revealed poor proliferative responses to phytohemagglutinin and normal responses to soluble Ag (tetanus toxoid) in AT patients. These data fit with the distribution of naive and memory cells, which are known to respond predominantly to mitogens or to recall Ag, respectively. CD45RA molecules were normally expressed on CD8+ lymphocytes. This rules out a generalized defect of regulation or differential splicing as the cause of defective expression of CD45RA on CD4+ cells. The selective deficiency of CD4+CD45RA+ may provide a cellular basis for some functional T-cell abnormalities of AT patients. Furthermore, it might practically serve for an early, or even prenatal, diagnosis of this disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Changes in circulating B cells and immunoglobulin classes and subclasses in a healthy aged population.

The study of 87 adults of different ages, including 15 centenarians, selected for their healthy status, showed that profound changes of humoral immunity occur throughout life. In particular, a statistically significant age-related increase of the serum level of immunoglobulin classes (IgG and IgA but not IgM) and IgG subclasses (IgG1, 2 and 3, but not IgG4) was detected. A parallel age-related decrease of circulating B cells was also observed. The hypothesis of a complex derangement of B cell function and/or compartmentalization with age is put forward, together with the proposal that healthy centenarians (as representative of successful ageing) may be helpful in identifying the physiological age-related modifications of the immune system.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Cutaneous melanomas in old patients. Prognostic factors and actuarial survival].

A study of 80 consecutive cutaneous malignant melanomas in 78 patients older than 60 years, with an average of 73 (60-93), is presented. The following data were considered: age, sex, localization, stage, other synchronous or metachronous malignant tumors, excluded basal cell epitheliomas, histological type and depth of cutaneous invasion according to Clark's levels and Breslow's measure. The follow up lasted 1 to 156 months with an average of 39 months. All patients were treated by surgical removal of the cutaneous lesion or the regional lymph node metastases, if they appeared. No prophylactic lymph node dissections were performed. There were 45 women and 33 men. The histological type was superficial spreading (ES) in 17 women and 7 men; nodular (NOD) in 18 and 16; lentigo maligna melanoma (LM) in 4 and 4 and acral in 7 and 7. Relations between sex, localization, histological type and actuarial survival curves can be observed in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and Tables 1, 2. Even considering the shortcomings of this retrospective analysis and a relatively short follow up for melanomas, this study points out that the thickness of the lesion became prognostically significant in relation to survival, beyond 3.7 mm (p < 0.001); but when the tumors were thinner, this group of patients showed other causes of death (MPOC) with a greater frequency than those related to tumoral progression (MPM) (p < 0.001) and that maybe this should be taken into account when planning treatment for melanomas in elderly patients. Other malignant synchronous or metachronous tumors were found in 19% of the patients (Table 2).

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1991

ACTH-like molecules in gastropod molluscs: a possible role in ancestral immune response and stress.

The presence of immunoreactive ACTH molecules on phagocytic cells from the freshwater snails Planorbarius corneus and Lymnaea stagnalis was shown by cytofluorimetric analysis. The role of ACTH in phagocytosis and in the release of biogenic amines, two biological responses that may be taken as ancestral types of immune response and stress, respectively, has also been evaluated. ACTH markedly increased the phagocytosis of Staphylococcus aureus by P. corneus haemocytes and caused the release of biogenic amines from such cells into the serum. These data, as well as tracing the ancestral physiological role of ACTH, favour the hypothesis that immune and neuroendocrine systems share a common evolutionary origin.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1991

Age-related expansion of functionally inefficient cells with markers of natural killer activity in Down's syndrome.

Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets of two groups of patients affected by Down's syndrome (DS), ie, 28 children and nine adults of relatively advanced age (greater than 34 years), were investigated and compared with those of age- and sex-matched healthy controls (13 children and 20 adults). Particular attention was devoted to cells with markers of natural killer (NK) activity. Double- and triple-color cytofluorimetric analysis was used to better characterize the phenotypic features of the different subsets. Apart from a reduced number of T lymphocytes (CD3+) in DS children and of B lymphocytes (CD19+) in both DS groups, the major alteration we found was a marked age-related increase of the percentage of cells bearing markers associated with NK activity, such as CD16, CD56, and CD57. These DS cells were apparently severely defective as far as their function was concerned, because NK activity was significantly reduced in comparison with age-matched controls, but still capable of responding to cytokines such as interleukin-2, interferon-beta, and interferon-gamma, and to the modulation of lytic activity exerted by the anti-CD16 monoclonal antibody. On the whole, our data stress the importance of studying DS subjects of different ages to fully appreciate the immunologic derangement characteristic of this syndrome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Preferential expression of V beta 6.7 domain on human peripheral CD4+ T cells. Implication for positive selection of T cells in man.

The peripheral T cell receptor repertoire is mainly controlled by the processes of positive and negative selection occurring in the thymus. Studies in normal or transgenic mice have provided compelling evidence for both negative and positive selection. Negative selection is characterized by partial or total disappearance from the periphery of T cells expressing certain C beta regions, which are normally present in the thymus. Positive selection is chiefly characterized, in the periphery, by an imbalanced ratio between CD4+ and CD8+ T cells expressing a given V domain. To date little information concerning positive and negative selection has been available in man. We studied the distribution of 4 V beta domains on CD4+ and CD8+ peripheral T cells of 34 healthy individuals with a wide age-range (0-96 years). One of the V beta domain studied, V beta 6.7, is preferentially expressed on CD4+ compared to CD8+ T cells (p greater than 0.001). No significant differences were observed using the other V beta domain-specific monoclonal antibodies (V beta 5.2-5.3, 8 or 12). These results provide evidence that a process of thymic education, similar to that described in murine animal models, may also take place in man.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

[Clinico-radiological and functional aspects of respiratory syndromes caused by collagen diseases].

The clinical and radiological features in 100 patients with collagen diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, sclerodermia, dermatomyositis, and panarteritis nodosa) were compared with respiratory performance. 56 patients were drawn from the series of Pende et Al. and 44 from a personal series. The results are set out in tables and graphs. It was found that lung lesions due to collagen disease have no special clinical and radiological features. Respiratory performance is that of a restrictive syndrome that gradually progresses from A.R. to E.S., S. and P.M., accompanied by obstruction of the large airways, as shown by hyperinsufflation in sclerodermia and reduced specific conductance in rheumatoid arthritis.

Adult↗