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Biomedical subjects

C Spanò

Publications and source records attributed to C Spanò.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in cases of genital non-gonococcal infection according to microbiological and serological investigations.

An investigation on the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis was carried out on 231 patients (115 men and 116 women, mean age 31.6 years) with genital non-gonococcal infection in order to study the role of this microorganism in infertility and/or sterility in the Italian population. One hundred and sixty-six apparently healthy subjects (108 men and 50 women, mean age 32.4) were also included as control for serological comparison only. Persons with gonococcal infection were excluded. ELISA method was chosen for the direct C. trachomatis examination of "scraping" samples. Serological investigations were carried out by means of the indirect immunofluorescence test for IgM and IgG determination as well as the immunoperoxidase assay for IgA antibodies. A direct C. trachomatis positive test was demonstrated in 27.8% of men vs. 11.2% in women (p less than 0.01) in the patient group. Anti-C. trachomatis IgG specific antibodies were present respectively at any serum dilution in 50.2% of patients vs. 47.6% of normal subjects respectively (p greater than 0.5). The low presence of C. trachomatis (19.5%) at the direct test contrasts with the higher percentage of anti-C. trachomatis positive patients (50.2%) in the same group suggesting that serological tests may be more useful than the direct test in demonstrating an active C. trachomatis infection provided that IgM, IgG and IgA specific antibodies be contemporaneously investigated.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hepatitis B virus in diabetic patients.

The presence of HBV markers was determined in 149 serum samples obtained from diabetic patients and was compared with a normal population. Diabetics have the same incidence of HBsAg but significantly higher anti-HBc antibodies. These differences were seen in the group of diabetics on oral hypoglycemic therapy. These results cannot yet be explained.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Essential fatty acids: the effects of dietary supplementation among children with recurrent respiratory infections.

The impact of dietary supplementation with essential fatty acids (EFA) on recurrent respiratory infections (RRI) in children was evaluated by means of a randomized cross-over double-blind study. Linoleic acid (596 mg/day) and alpha-linolenic acid [855 mg/day] as a commercial preparation or placebo (olive oil) were administered for two consecutive winter seasons (November to February, T0-T120) to 20 children affected by RRI, aged between 36 and 49 months. Plasma levels of n-3 and n-6 metabolites increased after the administration of EFA. The number of infective episodes, days' fever and days' absence from school were reduced significantly during the observation period (extended from T120 to T180) in children receiving EFA supplementation. Our results suggest that n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids may play a favourable role in the defence mechanism of these subjects.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[HIV infection and T-lymphocyte behavior: results of a study in Palermo].

The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the HIV infection in people with an already impaired immunological system. The seroprevalence follow-up of different markers of HIV should seem to suggest to predict the course of the disease as well as the T4/T8 ratio did. We examined 111 at risk anti-HIV positive people according to these parameters in comparison with their clinical situation. Serum samples from these subjects were examined by means of the ELISA method for anti-ENV/CORE antibodies and HIV antigen, followed by a Western Blot confirmation. The T4/T8 ratio was controlled and measured by means of monoclonal immunofluorescent antibody test. Sixty six out of eighty three (79.5%) symptomatic patients showed a less than 1.0 T4/T8 ratio in comparison with 15/28 (53.6%) asymptomatic people (p less than 0.01) while no difference was seen in the same patients according to the presence or not of anti-core antibodies. In some patients it was possible to observe a positive trend in the T4/T8 ratio.

CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Microbiological and serological study in cases of infertility with or without sterility with particular emphasis on the etiological role of Chlamydia trachomatis].

Microbiological investigations were carried out on two groups of men and women--a) with genital non gonococcal pathology and--b) in infertile/sterile people of the same sex and age (mean age 28.4 y) with the aim to document in them the prevalence of various microorganisms particularly of Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma and Chlamydia trachomatis as aetiological agent of their pathology. Serum antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis were also studied by microimmunofluorescence, immunoperoxidase and ELISA methods in the same population in comparison with apparently healthy blood donors of the same sex and age as control. Finally, 56 infertile/sterile couples were included in this study to investigate the possible role of Chl. trachomatis. Various microorganisms were isolated more frequently from women of the group b) (45.5%-22.9% respectively p less than 0.01). Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma in comparison with Chl. trachomatis were prevalent in all groups investigated (p less than 0.01). Infertile/sterile women had higher anti Chl. trachomatis antibodies than did women with genital non gonococcal pathology or women of the control group (p less than 0.01). Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma strains were isolated from infertile/sterile couples more frequently than Chl. trachomatis but the women of these couples had high titres (greater than 128) of anti Chl. trachomatis antibodies. Finally, IgA as well as IgG anti Chl. trachomatis antibodies were demonstrated in two out of nine peritoneal fluid samples obtained from women affected by PID. In one case, a pregnancy underwent after an ad hoc therapy of the two partners from whom two Ureaplasma strains were isolated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serological study of rubella in pregnancy: two years of experience in Palermo (1984-1986).

A serological survey was carried out by means of an ELISA capture-immunoassay for IgM and by means of the haemagglutino-inhibition method or ELISA for IgG antibodies on 715 women in fertile age and on 12 patients suffering from rubella or rubella-like syndrome. Fetal serum samples were obtained at fetoscopy from 4 pregnant women at different gestational age. The overall results show that although the high percentage (greater than 80.0%) of anti-rubella positive women in fertile age in our country, 18 out of 54 women in pregnancy, having had contacts with people affected by rubella or rubella-like syndrome, showed a seroconversion for rubella virus. The outcome of the pregnancy in these patients is known for 11 cases only: six women decided for abortion, four had a normal baby and one, mother of twins, bore an apparently healthy child the other one being dead 4 hrs after the delivery owing to fetal respiratory distress. Conclude this study some considerations on the necessity to emphasize the opportunity for a mass vaccination program and on the importance for more than one serological test to discriminate among different rubella-like syndromes.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Central catheter infection by Trichosporon beigelii after autologous blood stem cell transplantation. A case report and review of the literature.

A case of localized Trichosporon beigelii infection is reported in a 40-year-old woman with Ph+ chronic granulocyte leukemia who underwent autologous blood stem cell transplantation. On day +14 after autograft, while severely neutropenic, she developed a local infection involving the soft tissues surrounding the central venous catheter (CVC) point of entry into the subclavian vein. Trichosporon beigelii was isolated from culture of the CVC tip; resolution occurred after removal of the CVC, neutrophil recovery and antifungal treatment with amphotericin B and 5-fluorocytosine. To our knowledge this is the first case of CVC localized infection from Trichosporon beigelii after transplantation.

Adult↗