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D Geroldi

Publications and source records attributed to D Geroldi.

43 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Western blot technique in the serological evaluation of three LAV/HTLV III-infected Italian families.

In order to confirm suspected LAV/HTLV III infection, serological evaluation of patients is of utmost importance. ELISA is currently being employed on a large scale for screening, but like the immunofluorescence assay, it has a variable rate of possible non-specific positivity. On the other hand, the Western Blot (WB) technique can detect antibodies to different viral proteins. In this paper we are reporting the serological patterns of three LAV/HTLV III-infected families. In particular, their viral protein-specific antibody patterns are described. With the exception of one child, all the patients tested showed seropositivity in both ELISA and WB. In the one child mentioned above, ELISA and immunofluorescence positivity were due to non-specific binding. Two out of three children tested showed a close correlation between a severe clinical course and the absence of p25-specific IgM. In contrast, one child showing a switch from IgM to p25-specific IgG antibodies had a favorable clinical course. We observed a family in which vertical transmission of LAV/HTLV III from the mother to her neonate seems not to have happened; the child was seronegative and healthy at the age of one. At birth, this neonate had LAV/HTLV III-specific IgG corresponding to the mother's pattern, but it lacked viral-specific IgM. Its mother had transmitted the viral infection to her first child, who died of AIDS. Preliminary suggestions are made about the detection of different specific antibodies and clinical features; the utility of WB is emphasized.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Epidemic of LAV/HTLV III infection in drug addicts in Milan: serological survey and clinical follow-up.

A clinico-epidemiological study is reported concerning a group of 306 parenteral drug addicts (PDAs), 71 of whom were affected with the lymphadenopathy syndrome (LAS); all were followed-up between 1981 and 1984. Although full-blown acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) was observed only in one case, none of the other patients examined have undergone complete recovery so far. The results of our study point to a wide circulation of LAV/HTLV III among our group of PDAs, starting at least as early as 1981 and preceding by a few months the development of clinical signs and symptoms of LAS. A peak incidence of the latter was observed during the winter of 1983/1984, running parallel with a marked increase in seropositives for LAV/HTLV III antibody. Drug addiction, sexual promiscuity and a low standard of living all seem to play a decisive role in the spread of the infection and, consequently, of the diseases related to it (LAS, AIDS-related complex and AIDS). In fact, PDAs appear to represent the major source of the disease in Italy.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Erectile dysfunction and angiographic extent of coronary artery disease in type II diabetic patients.

Some studies observed an association between erectile dysfunction (ED) and coronary artery disease (CAD) extent in the general population, but others did not. There are no specific studies in diabetic populations. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether ED is correlated with the extent of angiographic CAD in a large group of type II diabetic patients. We recruited 198 consecutive type II diabetic males undergoing an elective coronary angiography to evaluate chest pain or suspected CAD. Presence and degree of ED were assessed by the International Index Erectile Function - 5 (IIEF-5) questionnaire. ED was considered present, when IIEF-5 score was < or =21. Moreover, each domain of IIEF-5 was considered. Angiographic CAD extent was expressed both by the number of vessels diseased and by the Gensini scoring system. The percentage of subjects with ED was significantly higher (45.8 versus 15.8%; P=0.0120) in patients with (n=179) than in those without (n=19) significant angiographic CAD (stenosis of the lumen > or =50%). No significant association of CAD extent with presence of ED, total IIEF-5 score and each domain of IIEF-5 was observed. Our study shows that ED was significantly more prevalent in type II diabetic males with angiographic CAD than in those with normal arteries. However, no correlation was found between the extent of angiographic CAD and the presence or the severity of ED.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Apolipoprotein(a) phenotypes as markers of genetic susceptibility for cardiovascular risk in occupational medicine].

Several agents (e.g. chemical or physical) present in the work environment may be harmful for the cardiovascular system. Recent studies on the cardiovascular diseases linked to hyperlipidemia have demonstrated a strong correlation between high lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). In particular, the severity of this pathological condition correlates well with the molecular weight (MW) of the apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] isoforms supporting Lp(a) (low MW = high risk; high MW = low risk), which are characterized by a high degree of individual variability. Since apo(a) isoforms are genetically determined, a genetic predisposition for CHD has been identified, i.e. the apo(a) phenotype is considered a marker of genetic susceptibility for cardiovascular risk. After a brief presentation of the main occupational cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. carbon disulfide, carbon monoxide, noise, psycho-physical stress) and of the most updated theories on atherogenesis, the present review proposes to utilize the measurement of the plasmatic Lp(a) level to screen for occupational cardiovascular risk susceptibility. Apo(a) phenotype characterization of workers with medium-high Lp(a) levels is then suggested. Our proposal may be realized by means of simple and relatively unexpensive laboratory methods.

Apolipoproteins↗