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C Vitali

Publications and source records attributed to C Vitali.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Antinuclear antibody profile in Italian patients with connective tissue diseases.

In the present work we report data on the specificity of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in a large series of Italian patients suffering from a broad spectrum of connective tissue diseases (CTD), by using a series of homogeneous and validated techniques. The present study confirms, on the one hand, generally accepted concepts, i.e. that certain autoantibodies are strictly associated to certain disease states (such as anti-PCNA and anti-Sm in systemic lupus erythematosus, Jo 1 in polymyositis, and ACA and Scl-70 in scleroderma); the presence of 'marker' antibodies is, however, restricted to a relative minority of CTD patients. The application of a new methodological approach that considers the entire profile of ANA can greatly augment their diagnostic relevance and may provide useful indications for their interpretation, allowing us to establish for the first time the diagnostic usefulness not only of marker autoantibodies but also of certain associations between non-marker autoantibodies. Finally, the application of a more appropriate and powerful statistical tool (multiple correspondence analysis) has further emphasized the clear relationship existing between antibody specificities and certain disease states.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Synthesis and structure-antimicrobial activity relationships of quaternary ammonium derivatives of perhydropyrrolo-[3,4-c]pyridine.

A large homologous series of quaternary ammonium derivatives of perhydropyrrolo[3,4-c]pyridine 5 was synthesized and tested for in vitro antibacterial activity against different Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Compounds 5 proved to be always more potent than benzalkonium chloride, taken as reference. Antibacterial activity, expressed as log 1/MIC, was found linearly related to lipophilicity up to C13-C14 homologs, where a break in the linear relationship was observed.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1991

Erosive arthritis in monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance: report of four cases.

We report 4 case histories in which an erosive arthritis was associated with the presence of a monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance. In all 4 cases, the appearance of paraprotein was noted either before or during the development of the arthritis. Two patients had a rather atypical oligoarthritis, while the others had a rheumatoid-like, symmetric polyarthritis. A synovial amyloid deposit was present in 2 patients, while mild mixed mononuclear infiltrates were the main pathologic finding in the others. In 2 patients, immunohistochemical investigation demonstrated deposits of immunoglobulin-derived material of the same isotype as the monoclonal component in the synovial tissue.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Role of triiodothyronine in down-regulation and recovery of lymphocyte beta-adrenoceptors in thyroidectomized patients.

Thyroid function modulates beta-adrenergic sensitivity through the regulation of beta-adrenoceptor density. In particular, thyroidectomy decreases and thyroid hormone injections increase beta-adrenoceptor density on human lymphocytes. In the present paper the relationship between receptor modifications and thyroid hormone levels has been studied in human lymphocytes from patients after thyroidectomy. The patterns of early changes as well as recovery trends have been investigated. Results show a statistically significant fall in receptor density, parallelled by a decrease in T3 levels, 1-3 days after thyroidectomy. Recovery of receptor density is observed 5-8 days after surgical intervention and is accompanied by increased T3 levels. There is a positive correlation between receptor density and T3 levels. On the contrary, no statistically significant correlation was observed for receptor density and T4 levels. The time course of disappearance and recovery of receptor density and that of T3 levels have also been analyzed with the aid of a mathematical model fitting experimental data. On this basis, the hypothesis that both down-regulation and subsequent recovery of beta-adrenoceptor density are driven by the fall and rise of T3 is suggested. Data are also discussed in relation to experimental results we have obtained in animal studies.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Myokymic syndrome with impaired muscular relaxation: further evidence of a possible paraneoplastic genesis.

A case of concomitant myokymia with impaired muscular relaxation and hypertrophic osteoarthropathy associated with the presence of two separate lung malignancies is described. Both the neurological syndrome and osteoarticular disorder significantly improved after surgical removal of the lung cancers. The possibility that common mechanisms may underlie these two tumour-related disorders is also discussed.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1989

A simple method for the biochemical purification of Ro/SS-A antigen.

In the present study, Ro/SS-A antigen has been isolated from human spleen by a two-step procedure. In the first step most of the non-antigenic material was removed by means of ammonium sulphate precipitation and ion exchange chromatography. The final purification was obtained by passing the Ro/SS-A-containing fractions twice through a Mono Q ion exchange fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) column. The purified antigen showed identical immunoreactivity with crude material on CIE and was composed of two polypeptides with a molecular weight of approximately 60,000 and 55,000 respectively on SDS-PAGE, both reacting on Western blotting with a panel of anti-Ro/SS-A antisera. This system permits milligrams of highly purified antigen to be obtained from grams of human spleen.

Autoantigens↗
PubMed1989

Lung function in essential mixed cryoglobulinemia: a short-term follow-up.

Lung involvement in essential mixed cryoglobulinemia (EMC) has been recently described. In order to assess whether patients with EMC experience an accelerated deterioration of lung function, nineteen patients (17 females, 2 males; 49.6 +/- 6.6 years) underwent a short-term follow-up of lung function, chest X-ray and serologic investigations. Reduction of forced expiratory flows and presence of roentgenologic signs of interstitial involvement were confirmed in the baseline evaluation. In addition, a decrease of diffusing capacity was shown. After a mean interval of 15 months, no significant change in lung function was found, with the exception of decrease in maximal expiratory flow at 50% of forced vital capacity, total lung capacity, functional residual capacity, coefficient of transfer of CO. A slight decrease of hemolitic complement (CH50) and of complement fraction (C3) was also observed. This study suggests that patients with EMC tend to have an involvement of pulmonary interstitial space, possibly related to immune complex deposition, but they do not show a severe decline of lung function. Periodical assessment of lung function and chest X-ray is, however, worthwhile.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Low-antigen-content diet in the treatment of patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia.

PURPOSE: The effects of a low-antigen-content diet (LAC diet) versus a standard normocaloric diet on the signs and symptoms of mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) were compared in a crossover randomized study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study consisted of 24 outpatients with MC, and was carried out in a 48-week period. After 18 weeks of either the LAC or the placebo diet, patients returned to a totally unrestricted diet for 12 weeks (washout period) and crossed over to the second half of the study for the other 18 weeks. RESULTS: After three weeks of the restricted LAC diet, the cryocrit decreased from 3.5 +/- 3.4% (mean +/- SD) to 2.3 +/- 2.0% (p less than 0.01), and the circulating immune complex levels decreased from 48 +/- 30% to 39 +/- 34% (p less than 0.01). At the same time, the purpura score (p less than 0.05), glutamic pyruvic transaminase level (p less than 0.01), and gamma glutamyl transferase level (p less than 0.001) significantly improved. Splenic reticuloendothelial function, measured as the half-life of heat-damaged autologous red cells, decreased from 41 +/- 21 minutes to 21 +/- 10 minutes (p less than 0.005). In contrast, no significant parallel clinical, biochemical, and immunologic changes occurred in the same patients during the placebo (standard normocaloric) diet. CONCLUSION: These data show that an LAC diet decreases the amount of circulating immune complexes in MC and can modify certain signs and symptoms of the disease. These effects of the LAC diet may be explained by postulating a functional restoration of the mononuclear phagocytic system.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Urticaria/arthritis syndrome: report of four B51 positive patients.

The development of articular manifestations in the course of chronic urticaria or in urticarial vasculitis has been widely reported. It is not completely clear, however, whether common pathogenetic mechanisms are involved in all patients with these clinical features. Four consecutive patients with simultaneous urticarial and articular manifestations, but without any evidence of an immune complex mediated disease, are described. The HLA-B51 antigen was positive in all these patients, suggesting that a common genetic background may be present in some cases of urticaria with articular complaints.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Fibromyalgia features in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome. Evidence of a relationship with psychological depression.

The prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints suggestive of the fibromyalgia syndrome (FS) was evaluated in 30 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (1 degree SS) and in two control groups of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and diabetes mellitus (DM). In addition, the presence of depressive state was investigated in patients and controls using the Hamilton rating scale and an Italian self-evaluating test. Fibromyalgia features were found in 14 1 degree SS patients (47%), in 21 OA (70%) and in 10 DM (33%) controls. 1 degree SS patients showed the highest prevalence (47%) of moderate-severe depression with respect to OA (20%) and DM (7%) groups (p less than 0.01). Furthermore, while FS features correlated closely with both tests for depression in 1 degree SS (p less than 0.001), this correspondence was absent or much less significant in the other disease groups. Finally, neither psychopathological features nor FS complaints appeared to be related to the other clinical and serological findings of 1 degree SS.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Parotid sialography and minor salivary gland biopsy in the diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome. A comparative study of 84 patients.

Parotid sialography and labial salivary gland biopsy were performed in 84 patients with clinical features of primary or secondary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Signs of focal sialoadenitis were found in 73/84 patients (87%), but only 37 (44%) scored 4 which is considered diagnostic for classic SS. In contrast 55/84 patients (66%) showed some sialographic abnormalities. In patients with both primary and secondary SS, hypergammaglobulinemia and anti-SSA antibodies appeared to be the serological variables more closely related to the entity of either sialographic or histologic abnormalities. In primary SS extraglandular manifestations and recurrent parotid swelling were significantly associated with parotid sialography and labial salivary gland biopsy changes, respectively. Our study indicates that currently both radiological and histological examination are necessary for the assessment of salivary gland involvement in SS.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1987

Evaluation of S-adenosylmethionine in primary fibromyalgia. A double-blind crossover study.

The effect of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) and placebo was evaluated in a short-term crossover study of 17 patients with primary fibromyalgia. Eleven of 17 patients had a significant depressive state as assessed by either the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale or the Scala di Autovalutazione per la Depressione (SAD) rating scale. The number of trigger points plus painful anatomic sites decreased after administration of SAMe (p less than 0.02) but not after placebo treatment. In addition, scores on both the Hamilton and SAD rating scales improved after SAMe administration (p less than 0.05 and p less than 0.005, respectively), whereas they did not significantly change after placebo treatment. In all the patients, there was a good correlation between scores on the Hamilton rating scale and the number of trigger points. Thus, this preliminary study confirms the close relationship between primary fibromyalgia and psychologic disturbances, particularly with regards to a depressive state. SAMe treatment, by improving the depressive state and reducing the number of trigger points, seems to be an effective and safe therapy in the management of primary fibromyalgia.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Lung function abnormalities in different connective tissue diseases.

Lung volumes, forced expiratory flow-volume curves, diffusing capacity indexes, and arterial blood gases were measured in 72 non-smoking patients with various connective tissue diseases (13 with rheumatoid arthritis, 17 with systemic lupus erythematosus, 25 with progressive systemic sclerosis, 10 with primary Sjögren's syndrome, 4 with polymyositis, and 3 with mixed connective tissue disease). Small airways disease and a diffusion capacity impairment were the most frequent and marked functional abnormalities in the whole group, and were often present in asymptomatic patients. Different lung function defects seemed to be present in each disease group. In fact, large airway obstruction was prevalent in progressive systemic sclerosis, diffusion capacity impairment in systemic lupus erythematosus, and small airways disease in rheumatoid arthritis. In contrast, primary Sjögren's syndrome appeared to be the connective tissue disease in which lung function abnormalities were less frequent and less pronounced.

Adolescent↗