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Biomedical subjects

C Romano

Publications and source records attributed to C Romano.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

[Bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma in a mother and son].

The occurrence of two cases of bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma (BCIE) in a mother and son is reported. Clinical diagnosis was confirmed by histological and ultrastructural findings, which demonstrated marked changes in the cyto-skeleton of the keratinocytes of the Malpighian layer and areas of cytolysis and hypoplasia of the tonofilament-hemidesmosome complexes in the cells of the granulosa layer. These results and the possible aetiopathogenic mechanisms are discussed in the light of the most recent data in the literature. Treatment with oral etretinate proved to be helpful, but not long lasting.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Ichthyosis and neutral lipid storage disease.

A boy with a lipid storage disease characterized by lamellar ichthyosis, cataracts, hepatosplenomegaly, and leukocyte vacuoles has been identified in a Sicilian family. This patient shows all the characteristics of ichthyosis and neutral lipid storage disease (Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome). Family data confirm an autosomal recessive inheritance; the heterozygotes may be detected by the presence of vacuoles in circulating eosinophils.

Genes, Recessive↗
PubMed1988

Facial midline defect in the fetal alcohol syndrome: embryogenetic considerations in two clinical cases.

We report on two unrelated patients with fetal alcohol syndrome with hypoplasia of the periocular region, resulting in a low and narrow forehead and hypotelorism. Other typical manifestations of the syndrome involving the facial midline are also present. These observations can be added to clinical and experimental evidence from other authors, supporting the concept that the facial anomalies of the fetal alcohol syndrome are the expression of a midline defect originating from the disruption of the ordered development of midline mesoderm cells during early embryogenesis.

Child↗
PubMed1988

Long-lasting lowering of serum growth hormone and prolactin levels by single and repetitive cabergoline administration in dopamine-responsive acromegalic patients.

Cabergoline, the new long-acting dopaminergic ergoline derivative, was given orally in single doses of 0.3 and 0.6 mg to eight dopamine-responsive acromegalic patients. Serum GH and PRL levels were determined before treatment, 3, 4, and 6 h and 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days after treatment. A control test with a single oral dose of 2.5 mg of bromocriptine was also performed. Cabergoline induced a marked fall in serum PRL level, starting within 3 h and continuing for 7 days after administering 0.3 mg, and for 14 days after 0.6 mg. The mean maximal decrease was 49% after 0.3 mg and 63% after 0.6 mg and occurred after 24 h in both cases. The latter was of similar magnitude to that induced by bromocriptine (67% at 4 h). Serum GH levels did not change after 0.3 mg of cabergoline, but decreased significantly from 3 h to 3 days after 0.6 mg of the compound with a mean maximal decrease of 42% after 24 h, and from 3 to 6 h after giving bromocriptine (mean maximal decrease 63% at 4 h). Once a week repeated administration of 0.3-0.6 mg of cabergoline was carried out in six patients, five of whom had completed the acute study; a normalization of serum GH and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) levels occurred in three patients, one of whom had very high pretreatment values. In three poorly or nonresponsive patients, a better response, as assessed by both GH and IGF-I levels, was induced by increasing the dose up to 0.6 mg twice or 0.4 mg three times a week; in one case this was associated with marked tumour shrinkage. Sustained normalization of PRL levels was achieved in all cases. These data indicate that a single dose of 0.6 mg of cabergoline inhibits GH as well as PRL secretion in dopamine-responsive acromegalic patients and suggests that doses of 0.3-0.6 mg once to three times a week may prove suitable for treatment of this condition.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1988

Prolactin-lowering effect of acute and once weekly repetitive oral administration of cabergoline at two dose levels in hyperprolactinemic patients.

To further evaluate the potency and time course of the PRL-lowering effect of single oral doses of cabergoline, two doses of the drug were given to 51 hyperprolactinemic patients who also received 2.5 mg bromocriptine according to a randomized cross-over design. One group (n = 26) received 0.3 mg, and the other (n = 25) received 0.6 mg. Both cabergoline doses induced a significant fall in serum PRL levels, which lasted, on the average, from 3 h to 5 days after 0.3 mg and from 3 h to 14 days after 0.6 mg; the mean maximum decrease after 0.3 mg was -65 +/-4% (+/- SEM), significantly (P less than 0.05) less than that after bromocriptine (group mean, -73 +/- 4%), and it was -76 +/- 3% after 0.6 mg, not significantly different from that induced by bromocriptine (group mean, -71 +/- 4%). The effect of 0.6 mg cabergoline was significantly greater than that of 0.3 mg (P less than 0.01). In a second study designed to evaluate the possible therapeutic use of the new drug, 0.3 or 0.6 mg cabergoline was administered orally once weekly for 9 weeks to 2 groups of 15 and 16 hyperprolactinemic patients, respectively. Serum PRL levels fell significantly by the first week and reached a plateau after 2 doses in the 0.6 mg cabergoline-treated group and after 5 doses in the 0.3 mg-treated group; the absolute PRL decrease was greater in the former. Ten patients in each group achieved normal serum PRL levels, and a marked decrease (greater than 50% of pretreatment values) occurred in all patients treated with 0.6 mg and in 13 treated with 0.3 mg weekly. Resumption of menses occurred during the treatment period in 15 of the 17 premenopausal women with amenorrhea. Six patients who had poor responses had better responses when given higher drug doses for 4 weeks, and serum PRL levels became normal in the 3 receiving 0.6 mg twice weekly. These data confirm that cabergoline is a long-acting oral dopaminergic drug and suggest that it may be a useful agent for the treatment of patients with hyperprolactinemia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Synapsin I in PC12 cells. II. Evidence for regulation by NGF of phosphorylation at a novel site.

NGF treatment of PC12 cells caused a rapid increase in the state of phosphorylation of synapsin I. This phosphorylation of synapsin I is accompanied by a decrease in its electrophoretic mobility on SDS-PAGE. Phosphopeptide fingerprint analysis of the synapsin I revealed that this phosphorylation occurred on a particular phosphopeptide, designated peptide N. Phosphoserine was the only phosphoamino acid detected in peptide N. Partially purified PC12 synapsin I was a substrate for several protein kinases known to be capable of phosphorylating brain synapsin I, but none of these kinases phosphorylated synapsin I on peptide N. The results suggest that the NGF-stimulated phosphorylation of synapsin I may be mediated by a novel protein kinase.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
PubMed1987

Synapsin I in PC12 cells. I. Characterization of the phosphoprotein and effect of chronic NGF treatment.

PC12 cells contain a synapsin I-like molecule. Several serum and monoclonal antibodies raised against bovine brain synapsin I bind to and precipitate this molecule, demonstrating immunochemical similarity between the brain and PC12 species. PC12 synapsin I, like brain synapsin I, is a phosphoprotein: It is phosphorylated in intact cells and, when partially purified, serves as a substrate for several synapsin I kinases. PC12 cell synapsin I is structurally similar to brain synapsin I as shown by peptide mapping of 35S-methionine-and 32P-phosphate-labeled molecules from the 2 sources. Chronic NGF treatment of the cells induces a significant increase in the amount of synapsin I relative to total cell protein, measured either by immunolabeling or incorporation of 35S-methionine. The synapsin I present in untreated PC12 cells migrates predominantly as a singlet and that present in cells treated chronically with NGF as a doublet in SDS-PAGE.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
PubMed1986

Rare-earth pneumoconiosis: a new case.

A new case of rare-earth (RE) pneumoconiosis is described. The subject had worked as a photoengraver for 13 years and had not been exposed for 17 years. Chest X-ray showed a diffuse nodular pattern (q 2/3-ILO/1980). The patient was asymptomatic despite a restrictive spirometric impairment. The diagnosis derived from the finding, in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, of abnormal levels of La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Tb, Yb, and Lu. The presence of these elements was demonstrated by two methods: the neutron activation analysis and (as regards Ce alone) the X-ray energy spectrometry of mineral particles observed with electron microscope. Abnormal levels of rare earths were demonstrated also in the nails, suggesting an absorption of the RE from the lung.

Cerium↗
PubMed1986

Long-lasting prolactin-lowering effect of cabergoline, a new dopamine agonist, in hyperprolactinemic patients.

The new long-acting ergoline derivative cabergoline was given orally in a single dose of 300 micrograms to 15 hyperprolactinemic patients (including 4 acromegalic patients, 2 of whom were dopamine responsive). Serum PRL and GH levels were determined before and 3, 4, and 6 h and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 days after treatment. A control test with a single oral dose of 2.5 mg bromocriptine was also performed; serum PRL and GH levels were measured at the same time intervals for 2 days. Cabergoline induced a marked fall in serum PRL which began within 3 h and continued for 7 days. The maximal decrease ranged between -49.2% and -55.2% and occurred after 2-5 days. This maximal effect was only slightly less than that 6 h after bromocriptine treatment (-63.8%). After cabergoline treatment, serum GH levels did not change significantly in either nonacromegalic or acromegalic patients, whereas the two dopamine-responsive acromegalic patients had a marked GH fall after bromocriptine. A moderate blood pressure decrease, more evident in the standing position, occurred after both cabergoline and bromocriptine treatments. The only symptomatic side-effect was orthostatic hypotension after cabergoline in an elderly woman. These data indicate that cabergoline has potent and prolonged dopaminergic activity and may prove suitable for once weekly treatment of hyperprolactinemic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Adenylate kinase increases adenylate cyclase activity in membranes from rat lung.

The adenylate cyclase activity of membranes prepared from rat lung, measured under standard assay conditions, was markedly increased by the presence of a crude supernatant fraction prepared from rat lung, liver, or brain. This was not due to an increase in the initial rate of cyclic AMP (cAMP) synthesis, but to the maintenance of a constant rate of cAMP synthesis for periods of at least 10 min. After incubating lung membranes in the cyclase reaction mixture until cAMP synthesis had virtually ceased (10 min), the addition of alpha-(32P)-ATP caused a marked increase in the activity of the enzyme. This was the only component of the original reaction mixture that supported re-initiation of cAMP synthesis. Re-initiation also occurred when supernatant was added. This implies that substrate depletion occurs in the presence of membranes and that lung supernatant can catalyze rapid regeneration of substrate. Chromatographic analysis confirmed that ATP was rapidly hydrolyzed to AMP in the presence of the membranes, that this rapid destruction of ATP did not occur when supernatant was present, and that ATP was resynthesized from AMP when supernatant was added to a reaction mixture in which most of the ATP initially present had been destroyed. The effects of supernatant were mimicked by commercially available adenylate kinase. Addition of adenylate kinase did not affect adenylate cyclase activity measured in membranes prepared from brain, heart, or kidney, suggesting that lung membranes may contain more nucleotide pyrophosphatase and/or less endogenous adenylate kinase activity. Studies of soluble factors that affect adenylate cyclase must carefully control for differential substrate depletion in the presence and absence of tissue extracts.

Adenylate Kinase↗
PubMed1985

Abnormal length of cilia as a possible cause of defective mucociliary clearance.

A 12-year-old girl with obstructive lung disease was examined with respect to the ultrastructure of her nasal mucociliate epithelium. She had the characteristics of the immotile-cilia syndrome: chronic rhinitis, sinusitis, and bronchitis, a severely decreased mucociliary clearance of the lungs, and nasal polyps. The nasal cilia showed a normal cross-sectional appearance but were found to have twice the normal length: 12 micron rather than 6 micron. We conclude that the patient represents a new subgroup of the immotile-cilia syndrome and that her cilia are unable to perform their normal tasks.

Bronchitis↗