Biomedical subjects

F G Foschi

Publications and source records attributed to F G Foschi.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1993

In vivo effect of chronic ethanol consumption on the fatty acid composition of phosphatidylinositols in resting and anti-CD3-activated lymphocytes.

Fatty acid composition of phosphatidylinositols was analyzed in peripheral blood lymphocytes from nine alcoholic patients who were well nourished and without severe acute and chronic liver disease, before and after stimulation with anti-CD3 antibody. Six comparable nondrinkers were studied as controls. A reduction in unsaturated fatty acid (mainly arachidonic) and an increase in palmitic and stearic acid molar content were observed in phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PIP), and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) in unstimulated samples from alcoholic patients in comparison with normal subjects, leading to a significant decrease in the saturated/unsaturated ratio. In controls, anti-CD3 stimulation caused a marked decrease in arachidonic acid relative molar content counterbalanced by an increase in other polyunsaturated fatty acid relative molar content in PI, PIP, and PIP2 fractions. Interestingly, after anti-CD3 stimulation, alcoholic patients show the same trend of modification in the fatty acid composition resulting in a sharp reduction of arachidonic acid relative molar content. These results support the hypothesis of an alteration in nutrients being responsible for immune derangement in alcoholics.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Indicators of genetic damage in alcoholics: reversibility after alcohol abstinence.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although a primary carcinogenic role of alcohol is not proven, alcohol abuse is associated with an increased risk of cancer of the upper airways, esophagus and liver. METHODOLOGY: Chromosome aberrations and the presence of micronuclei that reflect two types of genetic damage were analyzed in peripheral blood lymphocytes from 11 alcoholic patients who were heavy smokers and in a fair state of general nutrition and 9 subjects who had abstained from alcohol for at least a year. Ten heavy smokers were studied as healthy controls. RESULTS: Chromosome aberrations and micronuclei in alcoholics showed significantly elevated frequencies compared to the control groups, while in alcohol abstainers the values of all two parameters were similar to the values of the control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that long-term alcohol intake could induce genetic alterations in synergy with tobacco smoke. Interestingly, this damaging action is reversed by abstinence. Our results call for a further effort to find an eventual diagnostic role for these early genetic damage markers.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Different efficacy of alcohol education tools among trainee nurses.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The evaluation of the efficacy of two different forms of scientific information concerning alcohol-related problems (ARP), among Italian trainee nurses. METHODOLOGY: A specific questionnaire, investigating the awareness of ARP, was distributed to 193 trainee nurses, 158 enrolled in the Italian Red Cross School for Professional Nurses at S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital in Bologna and 35 enrolled in the Professional Nursing School at the Social Security Institute in the Republic of San Marino, who had attended a scientific meeting on ARP in the last year. Eighty-one nurses (62 belonging to the Red Cross School of Bologna and 19 to the Professional Nursing School of San Marino), had previously been given an information package on ARP (Group A). One hundred twelve subjects (96 belonging to the Red Cross School of Bologna and 16 to the Professional Nursing School of San Marino) did not read the specialized material (Group B). RESULTS: The results showed a statistically significant difference in the percentage of correct answers between Group A (25.98%) and Group B (21.80%). The percentage of correct answers among the Bologna trainee nurses were always significantly lower than that of the San Marino nurses. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a scant awareness and interest in ARP among trainee nurses and show that courses and lectures are more effective than scientific printed material.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pharmacological approaches to the management of alcohol addiction.

Alcohol abuse and alcoholism represent a world-wide problem, both from a medical and a social point of view. In the past the therapy for patients affected by alcoholism was based mainly on the psychological approach. In recent years the use of pharmacotherapy together with psychosocial interventions have enhanced the percentage of success in maintaining alcoholic patients in remission. The present review discusses the main drugs experimented both in preclinical and clinical studies. Pharmacotherapy of alcohol dependence seems to be effective in both alcohol-related emergencies and prevention relapse. However, pharmacotherapy should not be considered as the only form of treatment but as an integrated part of a multimodal approach including psychological and social support.

Alcohol Deterrents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Orthotopic liver transplantation for alcoholic liver disease: rates of survival, complications and relapse.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Liver transplantation for alcoholic end-stage liver disease remains controversial at many transplant centers. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with alcoholic liver disease who underwent liver transplantation at Centro Trapianti, Policlinico S. Orsola, Bologna. METHODOLOGY: We describe the outcomes of 18 alcoholic patients with end-stage liver disease who received orthotopic liver transplants at our center from April, 1986 to February, 1996. The data obtained was compared with that of 114 patients with virus-related cirrhosis selected as transplant controls. An absolute period of abstinence from alcohol consumption for at least six months was required. RESULTS: Regarding the actuarial survival rate and non-fatal post-transplant complications, no significant differences were noted in comparing the non-alcoholic with the alcoholic recipients, except for a higher incidence of Cytomegalovirus infection in the alcoholic group followed-up for more than four months. The alcoholic relapse rate was 27.2%, but only one patient returned to harmful drinking. Seventy-three percent of subjects who were followed-up for at least six months were occupied in gainful employment. Alcoholic relapse did not affect employment status. CONCLUSION: This data demonstrates that liver transplantation for selected patients with end-stage alcohol-related cirrhosis achieves good results in survival, complications and employment status, and it appears difficult to defend an inflexible claim to have demonstrated an absolute long-term abstinence before transplantation when a severe deterioration of liver function is present.

Actuarial Analysis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Alpha-1-thymosin and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma patients: a preliminary experience.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate the tolerability and therapeutic potential of the immunostimulating adjuvant alpha-1-thymosin in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODOLOGY: Twelve patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were treated with alpha-1-thymosin (900 micrograms/m2 subcutaneously twice per week for 6 months) and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and compared to a historical control group (matched for gender, age, Okuda staging, Child's score, alpha-fetoprotein serum levels and viral infection) treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization alone. RESULTS: No severe side effects were recorded in the 2 treatment groups. The combination of alpha-1-thymosin plus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization resulted in a longer survival that reached statistical significance 7 months after the end of treatment (p < 0.05). Patients receiving combined treatment demonstrated a significant increase in peripheral blood mononuclear cells expressing CD3 (p < 0.05) and CD8 (p < 0.025) 3 months after beginning treatment. They also had a significant increase (p < 0.05) in CD16+ and CD56+ cells after 1 month, and a slight reduction in mononuclear cells expressing CD25, a marker for cell activation. No alterations in the response to phytohemagglutinin stimulation were seen during the alpha-1-thymosin treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of toxicity and the favourable effects observed in this open study call for a double blind control study to confirm the efficacy of the combined treatment.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗