PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D Cerrato

Publications and source records attributed to D Cerrato.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Abnormal responses to succinylcholine and pancuronium in a patient with hemiparesis.

Supersensitivity to depolarization produced by succinylcholine and resistance to pancuronium were observed in paretic muscles of a patient with a right frontoparietal tumor. The abnormal sensitivity to relaxants is compared with observations reported in patients with myasthenia gravis and hemiparesis. We hypothesize that upper motoneuron dysfunction may be followed by the appearance of "new" junctional receptors, which may occasional a supersensitivity to depolarization and a poor affinity for both curare and anti-acetylcholine-receptor antibodies. A decrease in acetylcholinesterase activity of "decentralized" muscles should also be considered.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1989

Immunoblotting techniques with picogram sensitivity in cerebrospinal fluid protein detection.

Agarose isoelectric focusing followed by blotting with nitrocellulose, nylon or polyvinylidene difluoride membranes, and immunochemical detection of cerebrospinal fluid IgG with various combinations of antisera, was evaluated. Polyvinylidene difluoride proved to be an easy-to-handle and reliable membrane for protein blotting. Among immunochemical visualization reactions, the most sensitive employed biotinylated goat anti-human IgG followed by streptavidin colloidal gold conjugate and silver enhancement in 20% w/v urea, allowing a sensitivity of less then 1 picogram IgG/band.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins↗
PubMed1987

Cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets in multiple sclerosis: monoclonal antibody analysis and correlations with clinical activity.

Enumeration of cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets (T-total, T-helper and T-suppressor) was performed by monoclonal antibody technique in 18 patients with Multiple Sclerosis and in 4 patients with non-inflammatory neurological diseases. While no differences were observed in peripheral blood subsets among the various phases of the disease, a marked rise in cerebrospinal fluid helper-suppressor ratio was seen in acute relapses. The results give further support to the concept of a strict compartimentalization in immune response abnormalities in Multiple Sclerosis patients.

Cerebrospinal Fluid↗
PubMed1987

Prognostic value of cerebrospinal fluid electrophoresis in optic neuritis and suspected multiple sclerosis.

The prognostic significance of cerebrospinal fluid electrophoresis and IgG-index has been investigated in 44 patients, of whom 10 had optic neuritis and 34 suspected, possible or probable multiple sclerosis. The predictive value of CSF oligoclonal banding for future disease dissemination is very high in the suspected multiple sclerosis subgroup, where after a follow-up of 4.4 years, 7 out of 7 band-positive patients displayed further disease activity. The absence of CSF oligoclonal bands seems to carry a relatively benign short-term (follow-up 3.4 years) prognosis in suspected MS cases.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis: intrathecal immunological response.

The intrathecal immune response is reported in a patient with cryptococcal meningoencephalitis. CSF IgM and IgG levels were significantly related to the favourable clinical evolution. IgM response was specifically directed against the pathological agent, while IgG were mostly non-specific. The data are discussed and compared with the other chronic infections of the central nervous system.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

CFS oligoclonal bands in MS and other neurological diseases detected by agarose isoelectric focusing and electrophoresis.

Agarose gel isoelectric focusing (IEF) and electrophoresis (EF) were compared for detection of CSF oligoclonal bands in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases. The CSF IgG/albumin ratio, the IgG-Index and the IgG synthesis per day in the CNS were also considered. IEF was highly sensitive, revealing oligoclonal bands in 100% of CSF from 40 clinically definite MS, while EF had a sensitivity of 70%. In 90 patients with other neurological diseases, IEF revealed oligoclonal bands in 25.5%, EF in 11.1%. The IgG-index was the most sensitive of the quantitative parameters.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Myasthenia gravis. Anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies.

Human acetylcholine receptor and the Lefvert method (13) were used to determine the serum levels of anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies in 27 patients with Myasthenia Gravis. Antibodies were detected in 22 patients (81%). Negative results were generally obtained in patients having milder forms of the disease. To find out whether serum levels of antibodies correlate with the severity of the disease, we compared the median antibody levels in patients with Type 1 and 2A Myasthenia Gravis with those of patients with type 2B and 3. Significantly lower titers were observed in the first group. Nevertheless, there were many overlapping values in the range of each class of the disease. A more definite relationship was observed in the follow-up of single patients. As a rule, clinical deterioration was accompanied by an increase of antibody levels and viceversa.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

[Polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis in the study of cerebrospinal fluid proteins in inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system Preliminary results].

The present study was designed to evaluate the potential of polyacrylamide disc electrophoresis of CSF proteins as an adjunct to laboratory diagnosis of neurological inflammatory diseases. The results of polyacrylamide and cellulose acetate electrophoresis of 42 CSF samples from control subjects and patients with various inflammatory diseases of CNS are presented. A comparison between results from both techniques is made. The polyacrylamide disc electrophoresis has been found valuable in the study of liquoral proteins with particular attention to gammaglobulins because this resolving power is superior to the other method. However, the Authors emphasize the importance of distinguishing the genetically determined proteins and haptoglobins and of the use of specific criteria in interpretation of a CSF protein pattern.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins↗
PubMed1978

Deep vein thrombosis and low-dose heparin prophylaxis in neurosurgical patients.

By the use of 125I-labeled fibrinogen test, the incidence of postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and the effectiveness of prophylactic low-dose heparin treatment were investigated in 110 patients who underwent elective neurosurgical procedures. Fifty patients were appointed randomly to a control group and 50 to a heparin group (10 patients were excluded since they had DVT before surgery). The incidence of DVT was reduced from 34% in the control group to 6% in the heparin group (p less than 0.005). No statistically significant differences were observed in transfusion requirements, postoperative hemoglobin concentration, and the occurrence of postoperative hematomas between the two groups. Positive correlation was observed between DVT and motor deficit (p less than 0.05). Preoperative assessment of patients' sensitivity to the standard 5000-unit dose of heparin was performed in all treated patients and is thought an important factor in improving the safety of heparin prophylaxis.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Studies on terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase and adenosine deaminase in myasthenic thymus.

Thymic function in myasthenic patients was examined using two biochemical markers which specifically define a population of cortisone-sensitive cortical thymocytes. The enzymatic activities of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) were determined in 13 samples. High contents of both enzymes were found in young patients. The enzymatic activities were easily detectable also in the oldest patients, despite the morphological involution and the decrease in TdT which are known to occur with age in the normal thymus. TdT and ADA-containing cells were almost completely depleted in all the 3 treated patients by the corticosteroid treatment which provides a non-surgical alternative to the elimination of this lymphoid population by thymectomy. The persistence of TdT and ADA activity in old age, and their inhibition by the corticosteroid treatment.

Adenosine Deaminase↗