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Biomedical subjects

F Ferracci

Publications and source records attributed to F Ferracci.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Post-malaria neurological syndrome: clinical and laboratory findings in one patient.

Post-malaria neurological syndrome (PMNS) is a rare complication of malaria. It follows recovery from an episode of Plasmodium falciparum malaria and is characterised by symptoms and signs of encephalopathy. Patients usually improve without any specific treatment. The pathogenesis is unknown, but it is probably immunologically mediated. The objective of this case study is to describe the first Italian patient with PMNS. A 60-year-old Italian man developed acute P. falciparum malaria after a stay in French Guinea. Twenty days after recovering from malaria, he became confused, developed generalised weakness, limb tremors, shivering and dizziness. These symptoms continued for three days, then resolved spontaneously. Neuroimaging was normal. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed breakdown of the blood/brain barrier, without oligoclonal bands and normal IgG index. Our patient presented a mild diffuse encephalopathy suggestive of a generic activation of the immune system without any specific reaction against antigens within the CNS.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Cervical artery dissection: a 5-year prospective study in the Belluno district.

BACKGROUND: Artery dissection is an unusual cause of ischemic stroke, particularly frequent among young patients. The aim of this study was to collect epidemiological data on artery dissection in a hospital-based community, set up a diagnostic protocol and discover outcome predictors. METHODS: Among patients suffering from cerebral infarction resident in our country, those with clinical and radiological features suggestive of artery dissection were selected. Risk factors, investigative techniques and treatment were evaluated. Patients were subjected to clinical examinations and were regularly tested neuradiologically. RESULTS: Out of 895 ischemic stroke patients, 10 patients with cervical artery dissection (1.1%) were found. Seven patients were treated with anticoagulants and 3 received antiplatelet agents. One posttraumatic artery dissection patient died within a few days of the stroke. None of the patients suffered from a recurrence, while serious disability occurred in 4 of them. CONCLUSIONS: Artery dissection should be suspected in any cerebral infarction patient, especially in young patients without risk factors for cerebrovascular diseases. The treatment of choice consists of anticoagulants. An early clinical diagnosis, strongly supported by radiological tests, is mandatory to start the proper treatment and achieve the best possible outcome.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Antithyroid antibodies in the CSF: their role in the pathogenesis of Hashimoto's encephalopathy.

Antithyroid antibodies and circulating immune complexes (CIC) were found in the CSF of six patients with Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) but not in the CSF of 21 controls. The synthesis of autoantibodies and CIC was intrathecal and their titers were independent of the patients' clinical status or therapy. Their presence in the CSF of patients with acute or subacute encephalopathy may be useful in diagnosing HE.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Autoimmunity to beta IV spectrin in paraneoplastic lower motor neuron syndrome.

Paraneoplastic neurological disorders may result from autoimmunity directed against antigens shared by the affected neurons and the associated cancer cells. We have recently reported the case of a woman with breast cancer and paraneoplastic lower motor neuron syndrome whose serum contained autoantibodies directed against axon initial segments and nodes of Ranvier of myelinated axons, including the axons of motoneurons. Here, we show that major targets of the autoantibodies of this patient are betaIVSigma1 spectrin and betaIV spectrin 140, two isoforms of the novel betaIV spectrin gene, as well as a neuronal surface epitope yet to be identified. Partial improvement of the neurological symptoms following cancer removal was associated with a drastic reduction in the titer of the autoantibodies against betaIV spectrin and nodal antigens in general, consistent with the autoimmune pathogenesis of the paraneoplastic lower motor neuron syndrome. The identification of betaIV spectrin isoforms and surface nodal antigens as novel autoimmune targets in lower motor neuron syndrome provide new insights into the pathogenesis of this severe neurological disease.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed2001

Type III export: new uses for an old pathway.

Gram-negative bacteria use type III secretion (TTS) systems to translocate proteins into the extracellular environment or directly into eukaryotic cells. These complex secretory systems are assembled from over 20 different structural proteins, including 10 that have counterparts in the flagellar export pathway. Secretion substrates are directed to the TTS machinery via mRNA and/or amino acid secretion signals. TTS chaperones bind to select secretion substrates and assist in the export process. Recent progress in the understanding of TTS is reviewed.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗
PubMed2000

Can seizures be the only manifestation of transient ischemic attacks? A report of four cases.

Several studies have investigated the frequency of epileptic seizures following ischemic strokes and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). Little attention has been paid to the possibility that seizures may be precipitated by TIAs. We examined if seizures can be the only symptom of a TIA and how often this might occur. We performed a retrospective analysis of clinical charts and electroencephalograms of 160 consecutive patients evaluated for a first-ever seizure from January 1997 to December 1999 at Belluno General Hospital. From January to May 2000, 19 more first-ever seizure patients were evaluated directly. Four patients (2%) had seizures in the presence of important risk factors for ischemic stroke (atrial fibrillation in two patients, atrial fibrillation and ventricular mural thrombus in one patient, hemodynamically significant left carotid stenosis in one patient). Seizures were not accompanied by other neurological deficits or brain lesions on CT or MRI. As risk factors for brain ischemia are frequent in the general population not developing seizures, our results do not prove that the occurrence of seizures was more than casual in these patients. Yet they indicate that in a small percentage of patients, seizures can occur in a context highly suggestive of TIA, with no other focal deficits.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

A novel antineuronal antibody in a motor neuron syndrome associated with breast cancer.

A 72-year-old woman developed a lower motor neuron syndrome (MNS) 4 months before the appearance of breast cancer. Monoparesis progressed to quadriparesis despite high-dose IV immunoglobulins, plasma exchange, and azathioprine, and high-dose IV methylprednisolone. The patient improved only after the removal of the tumor. MRI demonstrated hyperintensities in the cervical spinal cord. The patient had antibodies that reacted with axonal initial segments and nodes of Ranvier. The findings suggest that in this patient lower MNS may be a paraneoplastic condition associated with breast cancer.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Marchiafava-Bignami disease: computed tomographic scan, 99mTc HMPAO-SPECT, and FLAIR MRI findings in a patient with subcortical aphasia, alexia, bilateral agraphia, and left-handed deficit of constructional ability.

OBJECTIVES: To report and discuss the neuropsychological deficits and neuroimaging findings in a patient with probable Marchiafava-Bignami disease. DESIGN AND METHOD: A right-handed woman with chronic alcoholism demonstrated mutism, impaired comprehension of spoken language, alexia, and right-handed agraphia. The syndrome of interhemispheric disconnection was manifested by left-handed deficit of constructional ability and agraphia. The patient underwent brain computed tomographic scans, technetium 99 hexylmethylpropylene amineoxime-single photon emission computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that also included fluid attenuated inversion recovery images. SETTING: Clinical neurology department. RESULTS: The patient's symptoms were related to scattered lesions of the corpus callosum and to extensive symmetrical lesions of the centrum semiovale. Only the latter were detected by computed tomographic scans. Results of single photon emission computed tomography did not show areas of focal hypoperfusion. Results of fast spinecho MRI showed all lesions were hyperintense in T1-weighted images and hypointense in T2-weighted images. Fluid attenuated inversion recovery images revealed that periventricular lesions had a hypointense core surrounded by a hyperintense rim; callosal lesions were still hyperintense. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that our patient's symptoms are due to the discontinuous affection of the corpus callosum and to the bilateral cutting of the outflow from the cortex. The MRI findings may be interpreted as indicating central necrosis and peripheral demyelination of periventricular lesions and demyelination of the corpus callosum. The combined use of fast spin echo and fluid attenuated inversion recovery MRI reproduced with more accuracy than fast spin echo MRI alone some features of Marchiafava-Bignami disease known from observations at autopsy.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Testing of the AVL OPTI 1 portable blood gas analyzer during inflight conditions.

The "AVL OPTI 1" (AVL Medical Instruments, Saint-Ouen l'Aumone, France), a completely automated portable blood gas analyzer, was chosen because of its accuracy under usual sea-level conditions and because of its new technology which broadens the possibilities for in-flight blood determinations: a) a single use cassette made of plexyglass containing the measurement chamber and the aligned sensors required for pO2, pcO2 and pH determination; b) calibration coefficients memorized in a bar code label fixed on the packing material; c) a quality control of each individual cassette prior to the measurement and at least once a day by two standard reference cassettes simulating high and low levels of pH, pcO2 and pO2; and d) a fully automatic introduction of the blood sample. The complete analytical cycle requires about 3 min with a sample volume of 80 microL of whole blood. After the measurement, the cassette containing blood sample is destroyed. Moreover, this device uses optical electrodes or "optodes" (fluorescence sensors). We tested the accuracy and imprecision of pO2 and pcO2 sensors on fresh blood which was equilibrated with four different gas mixtures at four different altitudes (250, 8000, 10,000 and 13,000 ft), simulated in a decompression chamber. Gas measurement optodes had linear responses and were accurate for all measured pO2 and pco2 values (n = 66), except for at high values of PO2 (>150 mmHg) and pco2 (>65 mmHg). The pressure value given by the AVL OPTI 1 was controlled before the experiment began and during the different depression levels. Barometric pressure results showed: a) concordance of pressure values with those of ground instrumentation; b) stable response; and c) absence of hysteresis. We conclude that the performance of the AVL OPTI 1 is satisfactory during inflight conditions.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMed1995

The abnormality of N30 somatosensory evoked potential in idiopathic Parkinson's disease is unrelated to disease stage or clinical scores and insensitive to dopamine manipulations.

We recorded short latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) to median nerve stimuli in 40 patients affected by idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) classified from I to IV on the Hoehn and Yahr disability scale. SEPs were recorded before and after chronic administration of L-Dopa and bromocriptine, before and after acute administration of L-Dopa. Fourteen patients experiencing wearing off and dystonic-dyskinetic disturbances were recorded during the occurrence of these oscillations of their clinical status. Absent or reduced N30 components were found in 32.5% of patients. SEPs were not modified by acute or chronic administration of L-Dopa or bromocriptine or during off and dystonic or dyskinetic conditions. Multiple correlations of N30 with scores of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale showed that N30 abnormality did not classify patients with prominent clinical features, nor did it predict the outcome of treatment.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Effects of drug manipulations on anterior components of somatosensory evoked potentials in a parkinsonian animal model.

Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (SEPs) to median nerve stimuli were recorded in seven Cynomolgus monkeys before and after the induction of the MPTP-parkinsonian syndrome. SEPs recorded after the onset of parkinsonism showed a significant amplitude reduction of an anterior negative component peaking at about 15 ms (N15), independent of the severity of symptoms. The amplitude decrease was not reversed by the administration of I-dopa, despite clinical improvement, or cholinergic, noradrenergic and gabaergic agents. Amplitudes of N15 and of parietal P15 components were increased by the administration of the N-MDA antagonists ketamine and MK 801, and markedly increased when monkeys were given the anaesthetic agent etomidate. The present study shows that the reduced N15 SEP component of parkinsonian monkeys is similar to the reduced frontal N30 SEP component evidenced by other authors in patients affected by Parkinson's disease. The attenuation of N15 is not related to deficitary dopaminergic, noradrenergic, cholinergic and gabaergic systems. The implications of this finding and the role of glutamate toxicity are discussed.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine↗
PubMed1992

Delayed P3 event-related potentials (ERPs) in thalamic hemorrhage.

Delayed P3 ERPs were recorded with an acoustic oddball paradigm in 5 patients affected by unilateral thalamic hemorrhage. P3 latencies in these 5 patients were above the normal mean latency of age-matched controls +2/+3 S.D.s. The P3 delay was persistent in serial follow-ups at 6 months from stroke. Normal P3 latencies were instead recorded in 4 patients with paramedian hemorrhage not involving or only partially involving the thalamus.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Evoked potentials (EPs) in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis: a study of EP modifications during the course of a controlled disease.

24 juvenile strain 13 guinea pigs were sensitized with homologous spinal cord homogenate in complete Freund's adjuvant in order to obtain Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis (EAE) in the Chronic Relapsing (CR-EAE), Chronic Progressive (CP-EAE) and Acute (A-EAE) forms. Visual, Brain-Stem Acoustic, Somatosensory Evoked Potentials were recorded in these animals, prior to the sensitizing injection and during the course of the disease. The aim of our study was to observe modifications of Evoked Potentials during progression of a demyelinating disease. Latency delays of Evoked Potentials appeared 15 days after the sensitizing injection, preceding or simultaneously with clinical alterations and when demyelinated plaques were not detected in anatomical specimens.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1990

Mapping of event-related potentials to auditory and visual odd-ball paradigms.

This paper reports the results of recordings and maps of event-related potentials (ERPs) obtained in normal subjects, patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), progressive supranuclear palsy, confusional states, and in subjects with homonymous hemianopsia. ERPs were recorded from 19 scalp electrode derivations using both visual and acoustic paradigms. In normal subjects, the topographical distribution of all ERP components is described in detail. In 45% of AD patients, ERPs were normal; in 35%, although present, ERP components were delayed, while in the other 20% the N2 and P3 peaks could not be recorded. In patients with progressive supranuclear palsy, the normal ERP sequence was not identified. Our findings in normals and in hemianopic patients suggest that the early modulation of stimulus-related potentials could be located in primary associative areas, and that N2, P3a, P3b, SW should have different origins.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1989

The determination of total haemoglobin as haemiglobin.

This study describes a new method for routine total haemoglobin determination by conversion to haemiglobin (Hi), and compares it with the haemiglobin cyanide (HiCN) method. Experiments were performed in two phases. Firstly, the absorbance coefficient (epsilon Hi,500mm) at pH = 6.8, determined from 24 blood samples, was found to be 998 +/- 31 m2.mol-1. Secondly, using this value of epsilon, the range of haemoglobin concentration measured was 3.7 to 19.2 mmol.l-1 (6 to 31 g.dl-1). The correlation data shows an excellent correlation (r = 0.982, p less than 0.001) with the reference procedure. Reproducibility and accuracy were shown to be good.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗