PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F Giangregorio

Publications and source records attributed to F Giangregorio.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Association between hepatitis C virus and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and effects of viral infection on histologic subtype and clinical course.

PURPOSE: Because an etiologic role for hepatitis C virus in non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma has been suggested by several reports, we assessed the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in patients with non-Hodgkin's B lymphoma and in controls, and evaluated the influence of viral infection on histologic and clinical features of the lymphoma patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively investigated 175 consecutive patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 350 controls for serologic and molecular markers of hepatitis C virus infection. Controls were selected from inpatients (n = 175) and outpatients (n = 175) cared for at our hospital. Patients with lymphoma who had hepatitis C virus infection were tested for mixed cryoglobulinemia. Aminotransferase levels were measured in all lymphoma patients at baseline and during and after chemotherapy. RESULTS: Hepatitis C virus prevalence in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was significantly greater than in control subjects (37% vs 9%, P = 0.0001). Among patients with lymphoma, viral infection was associated with older mean (+/-standard deviation) age (67 +/- 14 vs 61 +/- 8 years, P = 0.001), and women (41 of 87, 47%) were more likely than men (24 of 88, 27%) to have evidence of hepatitis C infection (P = 0.006). Thirteen of the 20 cases of immunocytoma were associated with hepatitis C virus infection, which was also more common in patients with orbital and conjunctival localization of lymphoma. Patients with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma of the stomach were less likely to have evidence of hepatitis C infection. Mixed cryoglobulinemia was much more common in patients with hepatitis C virus infection (14 of 65 vs 1 of 110, P = 0.0001); it was not associated with the histologic type of lymphoma. Patients with and without hepatitis C virus infection underwent similar chemotherapy regimens and had no differences in response to chemotherapy or in overall and disease-free survival. Hepatic toxicity from chemotherapy was seen only in patients with hepatitis C virus infection, although all but one of these patients were able to complete their planned treatment. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the hepatitis C virus may have a role as an etiologic agent in non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma. Some clinical and pathologic features of the disease are associated with hepatitis C virus infection, but the virus does not seem to affect prognosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Endosonographic diagnosis of submucosal upper gastrointestinal tract lesions and large fold gastropathies by catheter ultrasound probe.

BACKGROUND: The unique ability of EUS to depict wall layers makes it possible to accurately evaluate submucosal lesions of the digestive tract and large-fold gastropathies. Although EUS requires a second endoscopic examination, miniature US probes introduced through the accessory channel of a conventional endoscope permit US examination during routine endoscopy. METHODS: By means of catheter probe sonography and conventional EUS, we evaluated 33 patients with a radiographic or endoscopic finding of a submucosal lesion of the upper GI tract or with large-fold gastropathies and histologically negative biopsies obtained at a previous endoscopy. A miniature multifrequency probe was used for catheter probe sonography. RESULTS: For 25 submucosal lesions catheter probe sonography results were superimposable on those obtained with EUS. In evaluating submucosal lesions, catheter probe sonography yielded the same results as conventional EUS in terms of depiction, measurement, and identification of the originating layer of the tumor. In the study of 8 large-fold gastropathies, catheter probe sonography missed the presence of ascites and enlarged lymph nodes in a case of gastric linitis, but produced the same results as conventional EUS in the other cases. CONCLUSIONS: For the evaluation of benign submucosal lesions and large-fold gastropathies, catheter probe sonography appears to be sufficient and could thus replace conventional EUS for these indications.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Autonomic and ventilatory components of heart rate and blood pressure variability in freely behaving rats.

The relative role of parasympathetic, sympathetic, and ventilatory influences in the genesis of blood pressure and R-R interval variability is controversial. In 13 freely behaving WKY rats instrumented with venous and arterial catheters and chest electrodes, mean arterial pressure (MAP, mmHg), R-R interval (ms), and respiratory fluctuations were monitored for 90 min in the control condition and after intravenous atropine (0.75 mg/kg) and/or propranolol (1 mg/kg). Spectral power (pw) in the 0.25- to 0.75-Hz (midfrequency, MF) and the 0.75- to 3.0-Hz (high-frequency, HF, respiratory-synchronous) bands was computed in sequences of 400 heartbeats by use of a combined autoregressive analysis. Atropine reduced but did not abolish HF R-R interval pw (from 1.73 +/- 0.50 to 0.39 +/- 0.27 ms2, P < 0.01) and halved HF MAP pw (from 0.41 +/- 0.30 to 0.21 +/- 0.12 mmHg2, P < 0.05), whereas propranolol did not affect HF pw of the R-R interval or MAP. Propranolol also failed to significantly modify MF R-R interval pw (from 0.48 +/- 0.44 to 0.40 +/- 0.34 ms2, P = NS) or MF MAP pw (from 0.54 +/- 0.39 to 0.42 +/- 0.20 mmHg2, P = NS), whereas atropine virtually abolished MF R-R interval pw (from 0.48 +/- 0.44 to 0.01 +/- 0.01 ms2, P < 0.01) and also significantly reduced MF MAP pw (from 0.54 +/- 0.39 to 0.33 +/- 0.24 mmHg2, P < 0.01). The effects of combined blockade were similar to those of atropine alone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1993

[Vasovagal syncope].

The nature of most syncopal episodes, previously unknown, was recently elucidated by new diagnostic techniques such as the use of the tilt test. The vasovagal syncope can be clinically diagnosed by means of the tilt test. The transitory loss of consciousness during prolonged orthostasis is typically associated with sudden hypotension and bradycardia, which are commonly preceded by relative tachycardia and by premonitory symptoms such as pallor, nausea, asthenia, yawns, hyperventilation, mydriasis, humming, lasting several minutes. The nature of the vasovagal reflex is now better understood: in subjects with vasovagal syncope, during prolonged orthostasis, it was observed a fall in the venous return, inducing an increased sympathetic drive to the heart (with positive inotropic and chronotropic effect) and a lower ventricular filling. The powerful contraction around an almost empty cardiac chamber induces the activation of ventricular mechanoreceptors, and through a reflex mechanism, a sudden increase in the vagal and a sudden reduction in the sympathetic drive. These autonomic changes are responsible for a sudden hypotension and bradycardia. The discussion is still open about the origin of the reduced venous return: it probably originates from a redistribution in the blood volume, due to a venous pooling in the lower limbs or from a reduced muscle tone, because many subjects with vasovagal syncope are slender and with less developed muscle apparatus. Others suggest that a reduction in the sympathetic drive to the vessels, responsible for a progressive hypotension in the minutes preceding syncopal episodes, is the origin of the reduced venous return. In this review a diagnostic pattern for the assessment of the vasovagal syncope is suggested. The medical history, clinical examination, electro- and echocardiogram, chest x-ray identify two main groups of patients (with or without cardiopathy) who will follow different diagnostic protocols. The therapy of vasovagal syncope, which is based on beta-blockers, scopolamine, dysopiramide and plasma expanders, is reviewed.

Hemodynamics↗
PubMed1980

[Adenomyosis: histological remarks about 1500 hysterectomies].

1500 surgical bits had been histologically examined. There were 556 total hysterectomies and 994 total hysterectomies with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. In all we have found 310 cases of adenomyosis (20,6%); 60,3% of them had a submucosal location. A clear correlation between adenomyosis and pregnancy resulted, expecially, between submucosal adenomyosis and number of pregnancies.

Adult↗