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Biomedical subjects

F Pinto

Publications and source records attributed to F Pinto.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Intrathecal synthesis of anti-HIV antibodies in AIDS patients.

We studied the production within the CNS of anti-HIV antibodies, of non-specific IgG, and the presence of HIV antigens in the serum and CSF of 28 HIV infected patients belonging to group IV in the Center for Disease Control classification. CSF and serum were diluted under optimal conditions to equalize their IgG content, to enable us to better interpret serum and CSF reactivity by means of Western blot and ELISA. Under these conditions, no patient displayed a limited immunological response profile in CSF as compared to serum. On the contrary, there was intrathecal synthesis (ITS) of anti HIV-antibodies in Western blot test in 21 patients for gp160 and ITS was demonstrable for env, gag, and pol products. ITS of anti-HIV antibodies occurred in 17 patients when measured by ELISA. ITS of non specific IgG and HIV-antigens in CSF were less frequent. A marked anti-HIV response is evident in the CSF-CNS compartment in the later phases of the HIV infection.

AIDS Dementia Complex↗
PubMed1990

Neurological damage in patients irradiated twice on the spinal cord: a morphologic and electrophysiological study.

We reviewed the files of 950 patients treated for Hodgkin's disease since 1966 and were able to find five patients treated with radiochemotherapy and irradiated twice on volumes including a cord segment, at various time intervals, and surviving until now. Seven patients with comparable clinical and therapeutic features, but not reirradiated on the cord, were chosen as a control group and were examined with the same diagnostic procedures. The cumulative cord dose in the reirradiated patients was recalculated and ranged from 50 to 70 Gy. All these patients and the control cases were followed up for more than 10 years and presented no or only minor neurological symptoms. We compare the results of both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electrophysiological studies (spinal and scalp recorded somatosensory evoked potentials--SEPs) in an attempt to define the characteristics of the subclinical damage present in these patients. While no cord abnormality was demonstrated with MRI, electrophysiological studies evidenced a clear difference between cases and controls, as far as the D10-P1 conduction time and SEPs average amplitude are concerned. Advantages and drawbacks of a wider use of electrophysiological methods in research work on cord radiation damage are presented, along with the possible implications of the results obtained for the understanding of the pathogenesis and of the dose dependence of radiation myelitis (RM).

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Anesthetic induction with thiopental: its effect on scalp topography of median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials.

The effects on median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) of analgesic doses of fentanyl, meperidine or morphine and of sodium thiopental (STP) anesthesia (4 mg/kg) were tested in 36 surgical patients. We also explored changes in SEP components as a function of their scalp location. Before and after medication, responses were recorded from the scalp overlying the parietal cortex (ipsi- and contralateral to the stimulated arm) and the precentral (contralateral) cortex. None of the three opiates affected SEP latencies or amplitudes. The barbiturate increased the amplitudes of subcortical and early cortical components (N18, N20, P22, P25), whose latencies, however, were not significantly modified. The effect of STP on later SEP cortical components depended on their scalp topography: parietal N33 and P45 underwent significant changes in both latency and amplitude, whereas precentral N30 showed a significant amplitude increase only. Thiopental anesthesia produces clearer short-latency SEP recordings, from both parietal (components N20-P25) and precentral (P22, N30) areas.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Neurological involvement in group iv HIV-positive patients. Neurophysiological and clinical data.

Spinal and cortical SEP responses were recorded during tibial and median nerve stimulation in 58 HIV+ subjects (8 IV/C1, 24 IV/C2 & IV/A, 11 III and 15 II), all asymptomatic from a neurological point of view. The electrophysiological features were compared with clinical assessment and serum HIV markers for purposes of prognosis and therapy. In group IV we observed a slowing of conduction along the afferent pathway in the spinal tracts and afferent ways to the cortex. The major part of the delay occurred in the mid and lower medullary tract. These results agree with neuropathological finding from post-mortem examination in AIDS pts.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1988

Sleep in babies born to chronically heroin addicted mothers. A follow up study.

The effects of chronic addiction to, and withdrawal from, opiates on sleep have been described in experimental animals, in human adults and infants born to addicted mothers. These sleep alterations are seen through the first weeks of life. Thirteen maternally addicted babies were studied. Sleep samples were recorded and scored within a few days following birth and repeated 4 or 5 weeks later after recovery from the abstinence syndrome. A significant decrease in quiet sleep and increase of active sleep were found. The same alterations, although less marked, were observed in a follow up recording performed during the second month of life. Sleep alterations in addicted newborns could be related to central nervous system (CNS) distress caused by withdrawal. The authors however propose a perturbation of endogenous opiates subsequent to fetal addiction as a cause of sleep alterations.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Visual involvement in Friedreich's ataxia: PERG and VEP study.

Neuro-ophthalmological assessment, including red-free light retinography, in conjunction with simultaneous visual evoked potential (VEP) and pattern electroretinogram (PERG) recordings were performed in 10 Friedreich's ataxia patients: 9 patients showed marked VEP abnormalities. Moderate PERG amplitude reduction, with normal latencies, was related to mild and scattered fiber loss revealed by red-free light retinography. The initial part of the visual pathways does not seem to be the main site of electrophysiological abnormalities as demonstrated by the greater extent and relative independence of VEP versus PERG alterations. Primary axonal degeneration of the optic nerve and tracts cannot account for all features of VEP abnormalities, thus implying some dysfunction in succeeding visual structures as well.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Electrophysiological studies of the visual system in myotonic dystrophy.

Ocular signs and electroretinal alterations frequently occur in Myotonic Dystrophy (MD). Surprisingly few reports describe VEP abnormalities for this syndrome. Since the evaluation of cortical visual responses is linked to an understanding of preceding retinal changes, we conducted a systematic study of the visual system including ophthalmological and electrophysiological (EOG, ERG, PERG, VEP) investigation in 14 confirmed myotonic patients. The various tests revealed consistent abnormalities, the most frequent of these being PERG and VEP changes. These alterations seemed to occur independently of one another, suggesting impaired function at different levels of visual pathway. A generalized defect of cell membrane has recently been proposed as etiopathogenesis of typical EMG and systemic features of the disease. Such membrane dysfunction might account for the early and marked abnormalities in electrophysiological tests, even in the absence of neuro-ophthalmological changes.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Fetal addiction to methadone: postnatal abstinence syndrome and development of visual evoked potentials.

Female rats were given different doses of methadone for the whole duration of pregnancy. The effects of methadone on birthweight and abstinence syndrome were studied from birth to maturation. Visual Evoked Potentials (VEP) from onset to 90 days of age were studied with averaging and frequency analysis techniques. The intensity of the withdrawal syndrome was dependent on the doses of the drug administered to the mothers, but not on the postnatal therapy (phenobarbital or methadone) administered to offspring. VEP latencies and amplitudes were not affected by fetal addiction to methadone. Thus, any long lasting alteration of spontaneous and evoked electrical activities in the visual system of fetal addicted young rats can be excluded. Only transient slight alterations of visual evoked responses are observed during the abstinence syndrome.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Aphasia following right striato-insular infarction in a left-handed child: a clinico-radiological study.

The case of six-year-old girl with non-fluent aphasia following a subcortical right-hemispheric cerebrovascular accident is reported. Examination by computerised tomographic scan revealed a right paraventricular area of diminished density involving the internal capsule, lenticular nucleus and the insula. The speech disturbance was followed by typical right-hemispheric signs and by left-channel extinction in dichotic listening tests. The aphasia cleared in two weeks, paralleled by an improvement in left-channel performance, suggesting that language recovery was dependent on right-hemispheric structures.

Aphasia↗
PubMed1981

A follow-up electrophysiological study of rats with poor intrauterine fetal growth: the development of visual evoked responses (VERs).

The development of some electrophysiological activities of the visual system (VERs) was compared in control rats and in young rats with poor intrauterine fetal growth caused by an electrolytic lesion of the placenta. Treated rats showed a delayed development of the electrophysiological functions considered, thus confirming the postnatal effect of poor intrauterine fetal growth.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Fibrogenesis imperfecta ossium (clinical, biochemical and ultrastructural investigations).

The authors report a case of fibrogenesis imperfecta ossium (FIO). Only four cases diagnosed during life have previously been described in the literature. This is an extremely rare disease of entirely unknown aetiology. Clinical, biochemical and ultrastructural investigations were carried out. The most significant finding was the abnormal structure of the bone tissue, which was studied both by optical and electron microscopy on three successive biopsies of the iliac crest. In addition to deficient synthesis of the collagen fibrils, important anomalies related to the proteoglycans and the cellular elements were demonstrated. These have not been reported in previous cases. Some significant analogies with experimental lathyrism are also discussed.

Adult↗