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Biomedical subjects

F Milano

Publications and source records attributed to F Milano.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Homozygous p.M172K mutation of the TFR2 gene in an Italian family with type 3 hereditary hemochromatosis and early onset iron overload.

The p.M172K TFR2 mutation was identified in two Italian siblings aged 32 and 40 years old with primary iron overload. The two patients showed a severe increase in serum iron indices. From the age of 25, the male sib also revealed abnormal levels of hepatic enzymes, presumably in relation to iron induced liver damage. Clinical findings seem to evidence that type 3 hemochromatosis can be more serious than classic hemochromatosis. This report adds two more type 3 hereditary hemochromatosis cases which suggest that TFR2 mutations could be more frequently involved in non-HFE hemochromatosis than has been actually thought.

Adult↗

Development of educational image databases and e-books for medical physics training.

Medical physics education and training requires the use of extensive imaging material and specific explanations. These requirements provide an excellent background for application of e-Learning. The EU projects Consortia EMERALD and EMIT developed five volumes of such materials, now used in 65 countries. EMERALD developed e-Learning materials in three areas of medical physics (X-ray diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy). EMIT developed e-Learning materials in two further areas: ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. This paper describes the development of these e-Learning materials (consisting of e-books and educational image databases). The e-books include tasks helping studying of various equipment and methods. The text of these PDF e-books is hyperlinked with respective images. The e-books are used through the readers' own Internet browser. Each Image Database (IDB) includes a browser, which displays hundreds of images of equipment, block diagrams and graphs, image quality examples, artefacts, etc. Both the e-books and IDB are engraved on five separate CD-ROMs. Demo of these materials can be taken from www.emerald2.net.

Biomedical Engineering↗

pH-sensitive fluorescent dye as probe for proton uptake in photosynthetic reaction centers.

Isolated and purified reaction centers (RC) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26.1 were solubilised in detergent with excess quinone and external electron donors and illuminated in the presence of pyranine. The pH change accompanying the reaction center photocycle was monitored by recording the variation of the pyranine fluorescence intensity. Using Q(B)-depleted reaction centers or blocking the photocycle with terbutryne strongly reduced the pH change. The usefulness and limits of this technique in monitoring the pH changes during the RC photocycle are also discussed.

Arylsulfonates↗

Investigation on the detergent role in the function of secondary quinone in bacterial reaction centers.

In this paper are reported studies on the detergent role in isolated reaction centers (RC) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, over a large range of lauryldimethylamino-N-oxide (LDAO) concentrations, in influencing the thermodynamics of the quinone exchange reaction as well as the protein aggregation. The occurrence of the quinone exchange reaction between the QB-binding site (where QB is the second quinone molecule of two in the RC) and the ubiquinone 0 dissolved in the different environments (water, LDAO micelles and detergent phase of the protein-detergent complex) has also been analyzed. Measurements carried out in QB-depleted RC to which exogenous quinone has been added show that the relative amplitudes of the slow and fast phase of the recombination reaction depend on this parameter. The overall amount of the restored QB-functionality is affected by the concentration of the LDAO in solution. Interpolation of the titration curves with a quadratic function obtained by simple considerations allowed the binding constant of UQ0 to the QB-binding site to be calculated. From the fitting procedure, the distribution of the quinone in the different environments present in solution was evaluated, indicating that the exchange reaction can take place only between the QB-site and the detergent phase. The dependence of the quinone pool size upon the volume of the phase in which the interacting quinone is solubilized is also discussed. The increasing difficulty in saturating the QB-pocket above the LDAO critical micellar concentration is finally related to the association of protein-detergent complexes to form large protein clusters.

Detergents↗

A combined flap for root coverage.

A new mucogingival surgical technique for root coverage is proposed. Two kinds of flaps were obtained from the tissue surrounding the recession: the first, a partial thickness-epithelial connective flap, was designed to cover the second flap, which was a connective double-papilla flap positioned directly on the root surface. This technique was used to treat 11 cases of gingival recession ranging from 3 to 5 mm. After a period of 12 months, the mean root coverage was 84% with an average recession reduction of 2.7 mm, and the keratinized gingiva obtained was adequate in width and in thickness. The advantages of the suggested surgical technique are: (1) a single-step procedure is used, (2) there is no need for a second donor site, and (3) the achievement of a good final esthetic result with uniformity in the color and morphology of the flap relative to the surrounding tissues.

Adult↗

Guided tissue regeneration using bioresorbable membranes: what is the limit in the treatment of combined periapical and marginal lesions?

The maintenance of single teeth may often be of crucial importance for the prognosis of the total dentition. In such cases, as when a single tooth supports a fixed partial denture, a special effort should be made to maintain that tooth. This study reports the treatment of six such terminal cases. The results of a combination of local and systemic antibiotics and the use of guided tissue regeneration with resorbable membranes and grafting material is demonstrated. After defect debridement and root planing, the defects were filled with Biostite (Coletica), and Paroguide (Coletica) membranes were placed. The results at reentry demonstrated the efficacy of these treatments, and all six treatments were considered successful. The influence of the individual components used in treatment is discussed.

Absorption↗

Conferring drug resistance by MDR1 gene transfection increases susceptibility to irradiation and lipid peroxidation in 3T3 cell line.

This study was performed to test the hypothesis that conferring multiple drug resistance reduces cell susceptibility to irradiation and iron-stimulated lipid peroxidation. Multidrug resistant (PN1A) and parental drug sensitive (PSI-2) cell lines were exposed to ADP-Fe or Ascorbate-Fe complexes at 37 degrees C and to irradiation. Lipid peroxidation was estimated by the TBA test, whereas x-ray effect was estimated by clonogenic assay. Cell glutathione-S-transferase (GST), total and Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities, and glutathione and vitamin E were measured. PN1A produced more peroxides than PSI-2 after exposure to iron complexes and formed fewer colonies after irradiation. Higher activities of GST and total and Se-GSH-Px were observed in PN1A. Vitamin E and total glutathione did not differ in the two cell subclones. These data show that the induction of the mdr1 phenotype by transfection of mdr1 gene in 3T3 cells increases susceptibility to irradiation and iron stimulated lipid peroxidation.

3T3 Cells↗

[The procedures and results of a quality control program in mammography carried out on a regional basis].

In 1990 the region of Tuscany instituted a quality control program for mammography, in order to check the working conditions of mammography centers in the region, to investigate the feasibility of applying some working standards in line with European recommendations, and to promote the training of personnel. The program involves the following: a test of newly acquired mammographic equipment to establish that it meets the required standards; an annual test of generators, X-ray beams, grid, AEC, screen-film system, film processing, dose and image quality; daily test (phantom radiography and film sensitometry) performed by the personnel of each mammographic Unit; and a sustained advisory service for the technical problems occurring between checks. Thirty-nine of 57 centers participated on a voluntary basis, and 135 checks were performed annually. The results of the program show a performance below the recommended standard in relation to AEC, film sensitometry and the adequacy of lights in dark rooms in 40%, 50% and 63%, respectively, of the centers. Entrance exposure was over 1500 mR, with a maximum value of 3450 mR, in 6 cases in the first round. 5 cases in second, and only 1 case in the third. In general, the results are slightly improving, but mammography optimization is still a long way off. It is necessary to carry out suitable programs for quality control in mammography on a regional basis and to establish precise guidelines for individual mammographic Units to follow in order to meet the European standards.

Breast↗

Study of second messenger levels and of sugar catabolism enzyme activities in transformed cells resistant to ionizing radiations.

We measured the level of second messengers, the activity of carbohydrate metabolism enzymes, and the resistance to ionizing radiations in normal 32D hematopoietic cells, in v-erbB transformants and in spontaneous transformants. v-erbB and spontaneous transformants were resistant to radiations as compared with their normal counterpart. The second messenger diacylglycerol was elevated in radioresistant clones. Only v-erbB transformants showed increase of the activities of enolase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. v-erbB-transformed NIH/3T3 cells, selected as control, showed identical correlation between radioresistance, increase of diacylglycerol, and of enolase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity. These results indicate that increase of diacylglycerol is correlated with resistance to the killing effect of ionizing radiations and could be proposed as a marker of radioresponse.

3T3 Cells↗

Evaluation of diagnostic procedures in chlamydial eye infection.

Sixty-six patients suffering from suspected chlamydial conjunctivitis or keratoconjunctivitis underwent direct examination and culture procedures on specimens from conjunctival swabs and corneal scraping for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis. Patient blood samples were also screened for the presence of antichlamydia IgG and IgA antibodies. Eye positivity was found in 12 and 15% of patients by using culture isolation and direct examination, respectively. In 3 out of the 8 patients with culture-proven chlamydial eye infection, all of them female, C. trachomatis was also isolated from the genital tract.

Adolescent↗

Chlamydia trachomatis infection in primary unexplained infertility.

In recent years Chlamydia trachomatis has emerged as a significant cause of acute salpingitis and reproductory failure. In this study, 85 women suffering from primary infertility and 85 parous women as control group were screened for C. trachomatis genital infection by means of cell culture and antigen detection on genital samples as well as the detection of anti-chlamydial antibodies in blood. C. trachomatis was detected in 31.8% of infertile women and 5.8% of fertile subjects. Isolation of C. trachomatis in cell culture proved to be the most reliable diagnostic tool when compared to immunofluorescence staining on smears and serology. Although the latter may be considered of great value in epidemiological researches, culture isolation should be associated for the diagnosis of active infection.

Adult↗

[In vitro sensitivity of 3 strains of Leptospira interrogans to 3 different antibiotics].

Leptospirosis, anthropo-zoonosis ubiquitously widespread, is a social and economic problem still to be solved. The experimental and therapeutic employment of many antibiotics has largely been tested "in vitro" and "in vivo". In the following research we tried to evaluate, by experimental "in vitro" method, the sensitivity difference of three serovar strains of Leptospira interrogans to two macrolides, Erythromycin and Josamycin, compared with Penicillin. From standard cultures, previously treated with serial dilution of these antibiotics, the MIC and MSC, as quantitative parameters, have been stated. For the qualitative evaluation of the damages induced at ultrastructural level by the drug activity. Electron Microscopy investigations were performed on specimens from cultures treated for 6 hr with twice and tenfold the MSC. The present research confirms the good sterilizing efficaciousness "in vitro" of the tested macrolides (MSC less than 1 mcg/ml) and their different activity pathway.

Drug Resistance, Microbial↗

[Septic thrombosis of the cavernous sinus. Presentation of a clinical case].

This paper describes a case of cavernous sinus septic thrombosis with cerebellar complication. The CNS was involved after a primitive piodermitis of the face. The diagnostic tools employed in the management of the case and the therapeutic procedures in the acute phase and in the convalescence are discussed. The patient completely recovered after chemotherapeutic treatment.

Adolescent↗

Ultrastructure of Plasmodium falciparum "in vitro". I. Base-line for drug effects evaluation.

A chloroquine-sensitive and a chloroquine-resistant strain of Plasmodium falciparum were examined in drug-free culture. Apart from the presence of knobs on the erythrocytes infected with sensitive parasites, no major differences between the two strains were observed. Nevertheless, the parasites of each strain show a variety of morphological features, some of which are quite similar to drug-induced alterations concerning cytoplasmic organelles, feeding process, and host-parasite interactions.

Animals↗