Biomedical subjects

E Altobelli

Publications and source records attributed to E Altobelli.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Bone metabolism in children with congenital hypothyroidism--a longitudinal study.

In order to evaluate the effect of thyroid replacement therapy on bone metabolism in congenital hypothyroid children, we studied 23 (10 girls and 13 boys) consecutive patients. Their age ranged from 3 to 8 weeks. One of these patients had familiar dyshormonogenesis, 21 had ectopic glands and one hemiagenesis. As a control group, we studied 46 sex- and age-matched healthy newborns. Before the beginning of therapy, the hypothyroid patients showed higher values of calcium (2.78 +/- 0.04 vs 2.65 +/- 0.07 mmol/l; p < 0.05) and of 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D (159.7 +/- 31.6 vs 90.5 +/- 33.1 ng/l; p < 0.01), while they showed lower values of osteocalcin (1.9 +/- 0.8 vs 2.9 +/- 0.9 ng/ml; p < 0.01) than controls. After 3 months of therapy, we found a complete normalization of all these parameters and a progressive increase of osteocalcin. Our data show that in congenital hypothyroid children there are abnormalities in calcium metabolism which seem to be transient and reversible after L-thyroxine replacement therapy.

Bone and Bones↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pre-operative angiography in gastric cancer surgery with extended lymphadenectomy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The value of pre-operative angiographic evaluation in patients undergoing gastric cancer surgery with extended lymphadenectomy was assessed in a prospective study comparing exposed and unexposed groups of patients. METHODOLOGY: During the period from July 1991 to October 1997, 76 patients (Group A--exposed) were pre-operatively submitted to a digital subtraction angiography (DSA) after informed consent. Concurrently, 94 patients (Group B--unexposed) were included as an unexposed reference group. All patients underwent total or subtotal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy according to the guidelines proposed by the Japanese Research Society for Gastric Cancer (JRSGC). RESULTS: In 34 (45%) exposed patients (Group A), DSA detected an atypical vascular anatomy. Major anatomical variations of the celiac axis, its branches and the superior mesenteric artery were discovered in 4 subjects (5%). Vascular anomalies affecting the surgical tactics of lymphadenectomy were detected in less than 8% of patients. Five post-operative deaths (6.6%) were registered between patients of the Group A, exposed to pre-operative angiography, 8 in the unexposed Group B (8.5%). Post-operative morbidity was significantly higher (P = 0.038) in the Group B (34%) in comparison to Group A (20%) but no difference in risk of individual complications was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Although useful in the presence of major vascular anomalies, it appears that pre-operative angiography did not significantly reduce intra- and post-operative complications associated with radical gastrectomy combined with extended lymphadenectomy. Arteriography is therefore not routinely recommendable but its use is mandatory in specific operations for gastric cancer.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Association between drug, alcohol and tobacco use in adolescents and socio-familiar factors].

Substance abuse is the result of interaction between constitutional, environmental and socio-demographic factors. Several studies have been demonstrated that the adolescent substance abuse is a serious and growing problem. The aim of our study is to investigate the association between substance, alcohol and tobacco abuse and socio-familiar factors, to evaluate a substance abuse prevention program which decreases substance use in adolescents. A cross-sectional survey was developed and carried out by involving a group of adolescents, randomly selected from the secondary school of Teramo province. Data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire. The associations between substance use and the determinants taken into account was evaluated by the chi-square test of Fisher exact test or trend test when appropriated. Our data show that the alcohol abuse is more frequent in males (41.1%, p = 0.000), while the nicotine abuse is more frequent in females (46.1%, p = 0.005). However, our results show that the abuse of alcohol, nicotine, heroine, cocaine and ecstasy is associated to lack of stability in the family, respectively: 61.5% (p = 0.001); 61.5% (p = 0.022); 7.7% (p = 0.018); 7.7% (p = 0.010): 7.7% (p = 0.004). The nicotine abuse is higher in adolescents living with a smoker: 50.3% (p = 0.000). Finally, the substance abuse is higher in adolescents having friends that are drug-addicts, in particular: alcohol 49.6% (p = 0.000), nicotine 43.0% (p = 0.000), cannabis 27.9% (p = 0.000). This survey suggests that the knowledge of factors influencing the initiation, combination and cessation of the use of substance is crucial for the prevention of drug use among adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Family history and risk of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: a population-based case-control study].

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is a worldwide occurrence disease of childhood with genetic, environmental and familial risk factors. Our study aims to evaluate family history as a determinant of IDDM. In a population-based case-control study informations on all incident IDDM cases, age 0-14, diagnosed between January 1st 1990 and December 31st 1996 were taken from the IDDM population-based register of the Abruzzo Region. The control group was taken from the lists of children attending family paediatricians. The family history data collection for IDDM and non insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM) were obtained by a questionnaire, administered to parents. Risk of IDDM associated with familiarity in first and second degree relatives was estimated using conditional regression analysis. Our results show that the risk of developing IDDM is increased by positive family history (OR = 3.99; 95% c.i. 1.56-10.23). The risk of IDDM for children whose fathers or brothers are affected by IDDM is respectively 11 and 20 times higher than for children with no family history. Family history for NIDDM does not influence the risk.

Adolescent↗