Biomedical subjects

E Gaudio

Publications and source records attributed to E Gaudio.

60 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Ultrastructural features of danazol-induced cholestasis: a case study.

A case study of a severe cholestatic syndrome induced by danazol, with ultrastructural description of liver morphology, is reported. Cholestasis appeared after 3 months treatment with danazol (300 mg/daily) and completely resolved 2 months after withdrawal. In spite of the severe increase in serum bilirubin and total serum bile salts, transaminases were only slightly elevated and GGT and alkaline phosphatases were almost normal. Light microscopy shows a pattern of predominantly centrolobular cholestasis without necrosis, with minimal inflammatory infiltrate and with no sign of bile ductule involvement. At the ultrastructural level very dilated bile canaliculus predominate with stunted or loss of microvilli and dense bile material in the lumen. Nonspecific alterations were seen in hepatocyte intracellular organelles. It is suggested that danazol may cause a rare but severe hepatocanalicular cholestasis, differing from the "bland" cholestasis frequently described during therapy with other anabolic steroids.

Bilirubin↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Histomorphological changes induced by recurrent tonsillitis].

Palatine tonsils are lymphoepithelial mucosal structures whose particular role as a defense mechanism in the human immune system makes them fundamental in protecting organs of much greater importance. If follows, therefore, that dealing with recurrent tonsillar phlogosis--diagnosis as well as therapy choice, surgical or medical--is today problematic and shrouded in doubt. The authors examined tonsillar tissue specimens of 65 patients (age range 4-30 years) who had previously undergone tonsillectomy. Light microscopy and immunocytochemistry were used to study subepithelial tissue while scanning electronic microscope was employed to observe epithelial ultrastructure in order to determine which alterations were most meaningfully correlated to the history and clinical picture of the subjects. In 100% of the cases the cryptic reticular epithelium was hyperplastic while in 44% a squamous metaplasia was observed. Epithelial alteration in various forms was also revealed with scanning electronic microscope: cellular disjunction ridging of the cryptic floor, conrifying squamous epithelial cells, plasma cells and infiltrated lymphocytes. The authors suggest that it is precisely epithelial alteration which, due to inadequate antigen uptake, triggers the series of events which leads from tonsillar disorders to systemic metafocal manifestation.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[MDR (multidrug resistance) in hepatocarcinoma clinical-therapeutic implications].

Our purpose was to summarize current knowledge on "multidrug resistance", or MDR, an intrinsic or acquired cross resistance to a variety of structurally and functionally unrelated drugs, still representing one of the major problems in the therapy of cancer and other diseases. MDR depends on various mechanisms, the best known being the activity of ABC transport proteins, mainly Pgp, MDR1 gene product,and MRPs; but also other transporters can cause resistance, for example TAP, a peptide transporter, CFTR, cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator, ABCG2, or breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) and LRP, lung resistance protein. MDR has been detected in nearly all types of cancer, because it affects many organs and can occur against a wide number of drugs; it is frequent even in other diseases, such as epilepsy and HIV. We focused on MDR phenomenon in HCC, one of the commonest tumors in the world, and one of the most resistant to pharmacological treatment. This characteristic might be partly determined by a link between MDR and angiogenic phenotypes. The relationship between MDR in hepatocellular carcinoma and the effectiveness of therapeutic treatments has been particularly examined. Finally, the importance to overcome the strong chemoresistance of hepatocellular carcinoma with methods alternative to drugs, namely gene therapy, which makes use of antisense oligonucleotides and anti-MDR1 ribozymes, has been pointed out.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Morphological aspects of atherosclerosis lesion: past and present].

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory process disease that involves the artery wall and that is characterized by the progressive accumulation of lipids. The term arteriosclerosis has been created by Lobstein in 1833. Subsequently, during the 19th century, the contribution of Rokitansky and Virchow was important to elucidate the pathogenesis of arteriosclerosis and the morphologic aspects of the plaque. In the beginning of the 20th century, Aschoff was a leading proponent who regarded the morphologically different intimal lipid deposits of children and adults as early and late stages of one disease and he called them atherosis and atherosclerosis, respectively. The first classification of atherosclerosis was made by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1958 and it consisted of the following sequence: fatty streak, atheroma, fibrous plaque and complicated lesions. In 1990s, thanks to much more sensitive techniques, the American Heart Association (AHA) proposed a new morphological classification based on eight lesion types designated by Roman numerals which indicate the usual sequence of lesion progression. Finally, Virmani et al. (2000) described a classification with the add of a specific plaque type, not recognized by the AHA classification, called "thin fibrous cap atheroma" which is more likely to rupture. The atherosclerotic process is characterized by typical ultrastructural changes that mainly involve the endothelial and smooth muscle cells. The morphological alterations of the endothelium are associated with dysfunctions leading to a proinflammatory and prothrombotic phenotype. This process seems to be due to turbulent blood flow and low fluid shear stress that normally occurs in particular regions of the vascular tree. Inflammation has a key role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and it is supported by numerous factors such as modified LDL, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, free radicals and, in particular, by infectious agents such as Chlamydia pneumoniae.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Verruciform xanthoma of the penis].

Verruciform xanthoma is a solitary verrucous lesion, usually occurring on the oral mucosa. It is characterized histologically by the presence of foam cells within elongated dermal papillae. Only few extra-oral case of V.X. have been reported. An unusual location of verruciform xanthoma of the penis is described.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A morphological study on femoral heads in human hip joint osteoarthrosis.

Several pathogenetical and clinical interpretation of osteoarthritic modifications are given in the literature. In this work we tried to compare in humans macroscopic, structural and ultrastructural observations on eight osteoarthritic with four femural heads from control patients. The sample for Light Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy observations came from selected regions of the femural head, which included both cartilage and bone tissue of loaded and unloaded regions. The cartilage showed superficial lesions, such as erosions and fissures, and deep lesions that included matrix alterations and chondrocyte proliferation. In relation to the thickening of the subchondral bone we noticed an irregular bone-cartilage surface with signs of bone tissue proliferation. The trabeculae appeared thickened in loaded zones and rarefied in unloaded ones. Cavities were sometimes present at different depths in cancellous bone. Our observations allow us to conclude that cartilage lesions are precocious, diffusely located and relatively independent of the considered zone of the femural head, while bone tissue alterations seem evenly sited and chronologically subsequent. The cavities in the cancellous bone could produce load modifications and consequent bone deformity.

Aged↗