Biomedical subjects

Claudio Martano

Publications and source records attributed to Claudio Martano.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Relationship between maternal- and fetal-specific IgE.

AIM: A positive correlation between maternal and cord-blood IgE levels is well documented for total IgEs, but not for specific IgEs. The difficulty in detecting specific cord-blood IgEs is due to their low concentrations, which hinder their dosage by low-sensitivity methods. The study aimed to correlate maternal and foetal specific IgEs against individual cow's milk proteins, detected by highly sensitive and specific techniques. METHODS: Cow's milk specific IgE detection was performed by chemiluminescence on 52 specimens of maternal and cord blood after cow's milk protein separation by 1D and 2D gel electrophoresis. Cow's milk protein (CMP) antigens were identified by mass spectrometry techniques. RESULTS: Specific IgEs for CMPs were found in 25/52 (48.1%) of maternal sera and in 19/52 (37%) of cord-blood sera. In order of decreasing frequency, the proteins found were BSA, IgG heavy chain, caseins and, in a single case, b-lactoglobulin. Positive cord-blood sera in all cases corresponded to a positive maternal result, and maternal and foetal immunoreactivity patterns were closely correlated. Moreover, in no case was there a positive cord-blood response with a negative maternal response. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates a close relationship between maternal and cord-blood specific IgE patterns. The phenomenon observed could provide a model to elucidate the general production method of foetal IgEs, which might only be produced in the presence of both the corresponding maternal IgE and the related allergen.

Allergens↗

PubMed2005

The impact of national and international guidelines on newborn care in the nurseries of Piedmont and Aosta Valley, Italy.

BACKGROUND: Care procedures for preventing neonatal diseases are carried out according to nurseries' traditions and may be not consistent with the evidence based medicine issues. METHODS: A multi-centric survey was conducted in 2 Regions located in NW Italy (Piedmont and Aosta Valley) in order to collect information on some healthy newborn care procedures. During 2001, a questionnaire was sent to the chief pediatrician in charge to the all 33 nurseries of the region asking the methods used during 2000 as prevention of ophthalmia neonatorum, early and late hemorrhagic disease of newborn, umbilical cord care and recommendations of vitamin D administration. Thereafter, during 2004 the same questionnaire was sent to the 34 chief pediatrician of nurseries to evaluate if the procedures were changed during 2003 according to guidelines. The nurseries care for 32,516 newborns in 2000 and 37,414 in 2003. RESULTS: Aminoglycoside eyes drops as prevention of ophthalmia neonatorum were the first choice in both periods (23 out 33 nurseries in 2000 and 24 out 34 in 2003 p > 0.05; the corresponding figures for newborns were 18,984 out 32,516 newborns vs. 28,180 out of 37,414 p < 0.05). The umbilical cord care was carried out with alcohol in 12/33 centers (13,248 newborns) and dry gauze in 3/33 centers (2,130 newborns) in 2000, the corresponding figures in 2003 were 6/34 centers (p > 0.05), (6,380 newborns, p < 0.05) and 12/34 centers (p < 0.05), (18,123 newborns, p < 0.05). The percentage of newborns receiving of i.m. vitamin K. at birth increased during the study period (15,923/32,104 in 2000 vs. 19,684/37,414 in 2003, p < 0.01), but not the number of nurseries (16 in 2000 and 17 in 2003 p > 0.05). The numbers of parents of newborns who receive the recommendations of oral vitamin K during the first months life decreased from 2000 (25,516/30,606) to 2003 (29,808/37,414, p < 0.01) as well as for Vitamin D recommendation (14,582/30,616 in 2000 vs. 11,051/37,414 in 2003, p < 0.01). Oral vitamin K during the first months of life was recommended by 25 nurseries in 2000 and 27 in 2003 (p > 0.05), the corresponding figures for Vitamin D were 15 and 14 (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In the present study a large variability of procedures among the nurseries was observed. During the study periods, guidelines and evidence based medicine issues have only partially modified the neonatal care procedures In Piedmont and Aosta Valley nurseries. These observations suggest to implement local forum/consensus conference to standardized procedures as much as possible.

Avitaminosis↗

PubMed2005

Prophylactic ibuprofen for the prevention of intraventricular hemorrhage among preterm infants: a multicenter, randomized study.

OBJECTIVE: Ibuprofen enhances cerebral blood flow autoregulation and was shown to protect neurologic functions after oxidative stresses in an animal model. For these reasons, we hypothesized that the prophylactic use of ibuprofen would reduce the occurrence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and its worsening toward grades 2 to 4 among preterm infants. To confirm this hypothesis, we planned the present prospective study. METHODS: This was a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial in which preterm infants with gestational ages of <28 weeks received ibuprofen or placebo within the first 6 hours of life. The infants were assigned randomly, at 7 neonatal care units, to receive ibuprofen (10 mg/kg, followed by 5 mg/kg after 24 and 48 hours) or placebo. Serial echoencephalography was performed 24 and 48 hours after the initial cerebral ultrasound study, on postnatal days 7, 15, and 30, and at 40 weeks' postconceptional age. Grade 1 IVH or no IVH was considered a successful outcome, whereas grade 2 to 4 IVH represented failure. The rates of ductal closure, side effects, and complications were recorded. RESULTS: We studied 155 infants. Grade 2 to 4 IVH developed for 16% of the ibuprofen-treated infants and 13% of the infants in the placebo group. The occurrence of patent ductus arteriosus was less frequent only on day 3 of life in the ibuprofen group. There were no significant differences with respect to other complications or adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that prophylactic ibuprofen is ineffective in preventing grade 2 to 4 IVH and that its use for this indication cannot be recommended.

Cerebral Hemorrhage↗