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C Palumbo

Publications and source records attributed to C Palumbo.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Quantitative evaluation on osteocyte canalicular density in human secondary osteons.

Osteocyte canalicular density (OCD) was evaluated at different levels of the wall of human secondary osteons, in subjects of different ages, to find out whether any correlation exists between the extension of the canalicular network and the exponential decrement of the appositional growth rate (AGR), which has been shown to occur during osteon formation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to count the number of canalicular openings per unit surface on large Haversian canals of forming osteons as well as on small canals of completed osteons. Reflected polarized light microscopy (RPL) enabled the number per unit length of canaliculi to be counted at different concentric levels of the osteons. The results of both techniques agree in showing that, in the subjects examined, OCD does not change significantly throughout the osteon wall. Since no correlation exists between OCD and AGR, it follows that osteoblast flattening which was shown to occur in parallel to the decrement of the rate of concentric bone deposition, does not seem to depend primarily on the number of osteoblast-osteocyte contacts, but on other factors.

Adult↗

Collagen texture and osteocyte distribution in lamellar bone.

A comparative scanning and transmission electron microscopy study was carried out on collagen fiber texture and osteocyte lacunae distribution in human lamellar bone. The results show that bony lamellae are not made up of parallel-arranged collagen fibers, as classically maintained. They are instead made up of highly interlaced fibers, and the lamellation appears to be due to the alternation of collagen-rich and collagen-poor layers, namely of dense and loose lamellae. The present study additionally shows that osteocyte lacunae are only located inside loose lamellae. Such structural organization of lamellar bone is briefly discussed in terms of bone biomechanics and osteogenesis.

Bone and Bones↗

Structure and function of lamellar bone.

A comparative scanning and transmission electron microscopy study was carried out on human compact lamellar bone. The results obtained fully confirm our previous findings which show that bony lamellae are not made up of parallel-arranged collagen fibers, as classically maintained. They are instead made up of highly interlaced fibers, and the lamellation appears to be due to the alternation of collagen-rich and collagen-poor layers, namely of dense and loose lamellae. In the light of these findings, lamellar bone must be considered a variety of woven- instead of parallel-fibered bone, as given in almost all the textbook of histology as an established datum. Such collagen organization of lamellar bone is briefly discussed in terms of bone biomechanics and osteogenesis.

Bone and Bones↗

Optociliary veins and central retinal vein occlusion.

In a follow up of 94 patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) whose onset had taken place less than 1 year earlier, optociliary veins (OCVs) were found in 7.4% at first examination. Among the 79 eyes in which the fundus of the eye was very visible after a follow up of more than 1 year OCVs were found in 30.4%, showing a late development of OCVs in many cases of CRVO. No difference was found in the occurrence of OCVs between non-ischaemic and ischaemic forms of CRVO. The visual acuity of the eyes with CRVO that developed OCVs was not significantly different from the visual acuity of the eyes without OCVs. Thus, the presence of OCVs in CRVO does not seem to be associated with better visual prognosis.

Adolescent↗

Central retinal vein occlusion in young people.

In a study performed on 20 subjects with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) aged 40 years or less we found the ischemic form in 20%. Disc edema was a common finding at the onset, while macular edema was less frequently seen. Systemic or ocular disorders that could be related with the development of the CRVO were often found; a patient was affected with myasthenia gravis and another with Sturge-Weber syndrome: these two diseases were not previously reported in association with CRVO. In only two of the 11 patients followed-up the visual acuity improved. The visual prognosis in CRVO of young people is often poor; the more frequent cause of the reduced visual acuity is chronic cystoid macular edema.

Adolescent↗

A quantitative evaluation of osteoblast-osteocyte relationships on growing endosteal surface of rabbit tibiae.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to quantify the intercellular relationships between osteoblasts and osteocytes on the growing endosteal surfaces of the medullary canal of the tibia in four rabbits of different ages. The area of each osteoblast was measured on the SEM micrographs by means of an Image Analyzer. The number of osteocyte cytoplasmic processes was indirectly evaluated by counting the canalicular openings present on the same microscopic fields after the removal of the osteoblasts. The metabolic activity of the osteoblasts was indirectly evaluated from their shape, and the structure was analyzed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) in sections taken from the samples studied by SEM. In all four animals, the surface area of the osteoblasts (OA) was found to vary a great deal, whereas the density of canalicular openings was fairly uniform. Moreover, although the OA mean value increases significantly with the age of the animals, the density of canalicular openings does not; it would therefore appear that the older the animal and the more flattened the osteoblasts, the greater the number of canaliculi beneath them. Since osteoblast activity has previously been shown to be inversely proportional to the area of the protoplasm in contact with the bone surface, it appears that the less active osteoblasts should contact a greater number of osteocyte cytoplasmic processes. These findings suggest that osteocytes might play an important role in modulating osteoblast activity and in recruiting osteoblasts that differentiate into osteocytes, possibly by means of inhibitory signals transmitted via gap junctions.

Animals↗

Neuropsychological and neuroanatomical dimensions of ideomotor apraxia.

Fifty-five right-handed men with left hemisphere stroke were systematically investigated for ideomotor apraxia of various body parts. Standardized aphasia and apraxia examinations in all cases, and appropriately timed CT in 28 cases, were used for analysis of psychological and anatomical properties of ideomotor apraxia. It is not possible to ignore the modality of eliciting the movement (command or imitation) and the body part being moved (buccofacial, limb or whole body) from any comprehensive theory about ideomotor apraxia. Different levels of performance are seen with different body parts to different modalities in different aphasic groups. Some subtypes of ideomotor apraxia (buccofacial) have highly specified anatomical basis. Some (limb) have apparently distributed anatomies, and others (whole body) have as yet unknown bases.

Adult↗

Morphological study of intercellular junctions during osteocyte differentiation.

Ultrastructural studies were carried out on intercellular relationships during osteocyte differentiation in primary parallel-fibred bone of newborn rabbit. It was found that throughout the whole differentiative process preosteocytes are in close relationship with the neighboring cells (osteoblasts, osteocytes) by means of variously-shaped intercellular contacts (invaginated finger-like, side-to-side, and end-to-end) and two types of specialized junctions: gap and adherens. The pivotal role played by these contacts and junctions in osteocyte differentiation and activity is considered in the context of their particular functional significance.

Animals↗

Osteocyte differentiation in the tibia of newborn rabbit: an ultrastructural study of the formation of cytoplasmic processes.

The morphological changes undergone by the osteoblast at the ultrastructural level, during its differentiation into osteocyte, were studied in the primary parallel-fibred bone of the newborn rabbit by means of incomplete three-dimensional reconstruction from partially serial-sectioned preosteocytes. The findings obtained suggest that the formation of osteocyte cytoplasmic processes is an asynchronous and asymmetrical phenomenon that seems to precede the mineralization of the organic matrix and to give rise to an asymmetrical mature osteocyte. The functions of cytoplasmic processes as regards bone formation, cell nutrition and osteoblast modulation are discussed. The mechanism by which the osteoblast 'enters' the bone matrix is hypothesized.

Animals↗

Broca's area aphasias: aphasia after lesions including the frontal operculum.

We report 9 cases of aphasia following lesions in the region of the left frontal operculum. It is not possible to capture their variety of clinical manifestations with the simple labels of "Broca's area aphasia." or "Broca's area aphasia." Analysis of the breakdown of various components of speech and language in these cases suggests that the operculum, lower motor cortex, and subjacent subcortical and periventricular white matter contain critical parts of different language systems. These systems can be independently impaired. There are several common language syndromes that follow damage that includes the left frontal operculum. These syndromes reflect the effects of the direction and extent of the lesion in the various language systems.

Adult↗

A three-dimensional ultrastructural study of osteoid-osteocytes in the tibia of chick embryos.

Morphology and ultrastructure of osteoid-osteocytes were studied in serial thin sections (700-800 A thick) of periosteal woven bone in tibiae of 15-day-old chick embryos. The three-dimensional shapes of 21 partially, and of one fully sectioned cell were reconstructed manually and by means of a computer-assisted image analyser. Osteoid-osteocytes are active cells engaged in organic matrix secretion and calcification. Like osteoblasts, their activity seems to be polarized towards the mineralization front, as shown by the presence of cytoplasmic processes on their mineral-facing side and by the position of the nucleus toward the vascular side of the cytoplasm. Cellular processes directed towards blood vessels appear only at a later stage, i.e. when the mineralization starts to spread all round the cell. The asynchrony in formation, together with the observed differences in morphology suggest the hypothesis that the cellular processes of the mineral-facing side are mainly involved in bone formation and those of the vascular side in cell nutrition.

Animals↗

Some clinical considerations regarding the relation of coronary vasospasm to coronary atherosclerosis: a hypothetical pathogenesis.

This study explores the relation between coronary arterial spasm and the development of coronary atherosclerosis. The clinical history and coronary angiographic and electrocardiographic data in 212 consecutive patients with ischemic heart disease were correlated. These patients were classified into four groups: Group 1, patients without angiographic evidence of atherosclerosis; Group 2, patients with single vessel disease; Group 3, patients with double vessel disease; and Group 4, patients with significant narrowing of major coronary arteries. Although spontaneous angina occurred in all four groups, it was more common (55 percent) in the patients in Group 1, who were predominantly female and young. Spontaneous angina was confirmed in Group 1 with several techniques, including thallium-201 scintigraphy, ergonovine administration and electrocardiography during attacks of pain. Prior myocardial infarction was present with similar frequency in all four groups. A patient is discussed whose spontaneously occurring coronary arterial spasm later progressed to fixed arteriosclerotic narrowing requiring coronary bypass surgery. These observations and a review of the literature lend support to the hypothesis that coronary arterial spasm can be a possible antecedent leading to the later development of fixed atherosclerotic coronary arterial obstruction.

Adult↗

Immunity to extracellular matrix antigens is associated with ultrastructural alterations of the stroma and stratified epithelium basement membrane in the skin of Hashimotos thyroiditis patients.

Employing purified extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, i.e. type I, III, IV and V collagens (CI, CIII, CIV, CV), laminin (LM) and fibronectin (FN), as antigen sources we detected autoantibodies to conformational and/or denatured ECM antigens among 34 of 50 sera obtained from Hashimotos thyroiditis (HT) patients and 6 of 51 control sera obtained from non-autoimmune thyroid disease patients and healthy donors (HT sera vs. control sera p=4 x 10-9). Reactivity to conformational antigens, mostly due to autoantibodies of the IgG isotype, was observed in 30/50 HT sera and in 6/51 control sera (p=3.5 x 10-7) and was not always concomitant with that to linear antigens, found in 23/50 HT and in 6/51 control sera (p=1.6 x 10-4). Ultrastructural analysis of skin biopsies obtained from 18 HT patients without symptomatic cutaneous diseases revealed defects of the stratified squamous epithelium basement membrane in 11/18, alterations of the stroma in 13/18 and both basement membrane and stromal defects in 9/18. Interestingly, 13/13 (p=0.012) and 9/11 (p=0.012) patients with stromal and basement membrane defects respectively, exhibited serum antibodies to at least one ECM antigen involved in the organization of the altered tissue compartment. Lastly, 10/18 skin biopsies presented immunoglobulin (Ig) and/or complement (C3) deposits along the cutaneous basement membrane zone (BMZ) or in the papillary dermis and 9/10 sera from the same patients simultaneously showed antibodies to at least one ECM antigen involved in the organization of these two skin compartments. Besides, 8/11 HT patients with basement membrane defects exhibited Ig or C3 deposits along the BMZ. Our findings suggest that autoantibodies to ECM molecules might contribute to the development of asymptomatic extra-thyroid skin diseases in HT patients.

Autoantibodies↗