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Biomedical subjects

F Quintieri

Publications and source records attributed to F Quintieri.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

A rare case of IUD tubal migration. Case report.

The Authors describe a rare case of IUD tubal migration. The uterine device had been inserted twelve years before. A hysteroscopical removal of the IUD was tried unsuccessfully, because it was impossible to locate it either in the uterine cavity or at the fallopian tube orifice level. The patient underwent a minilaparotomy and the IUD was found out at the peritubal level. An ecographic control of all intrauterine devices insertions is recommended.

Abscess↗
PubMed1994

A voluminous paraovarian cyst. Case report.

Paraovarian cysts represent 9-10% of all annexial tumescences. The Authors present a case of voluminous paraovarian cyst in young woman referring abdominal heaviness and swelling for about eight months. During laparotomy a 35 cm cyst with liquid content was revealed. The cystic mass was extirpated preserving the woman's reproductive capacity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

T-cell and antibody response to Parietaria judaica allergenic fractions in atopic and nonatopic individuals.

The in vitro proliferative response to separated immunologically relevant components of Parietaria judaica pollen extract (PjE) was investigated by proliferation assay and limiting dilution analysis, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from Parietaria-allergic subjects and nonallergic controls. In the same subjects, the profile of the antibody response to the PjE fractions was also studied by immunoblotting to evaluate the functional significance of allergen-induced T-cell activation in the two groups. The estimated frequency of PjE-reactive T cells in peripheral-blood mononuclear cells was low in both groups. No difference was found between the Parietaria-allergic subjects and nonallergic controls. To assess the overall contribution to the cellular response of PjE components of different molecular weights, we separated the extract by the SDS-PAGE technique, and the fractions were blotted onto nitrocellulose and solubilized. Almost all the 14 fractions tested induced T-cell proliferation, at different degrees of magnitude. Responses were similar in the allergic subjects and nonallergic controls. Immunoblotting demonstrated specific IgG antibodies to the 14 PjE fractions not only in the allergic subjects, but also in the healthy controls, whereas IgE antibodies were found, as expected, only in the sera from atopic subjects. These findings indicate that PjE fractions elicit similar T-cell activation and IgG production in allergic and normal subjects.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1992

Limiting dilution analysis of autoreactive T cells in patients affected by hydatid disease.

We evaluated the peripheral autoreactive response in patients with Echinococcus granulosus compared with healthy individuals. A limiting dilution analysis (LDA) was performed to estimate frequency of auto-reactive T cells and to detect the complex mechanism that often underlies the autoreactive response. Different LDA curves were seen in healthy controls and patients. The control group provided a straight line passing through the origin ('single hit' kinetics), indicating that only peripheral autoreactive T cells are limiting. On the other hand, autoreactive T cell titration in hydatid patients did not follow 'single hit' kinetics, suggesting that two or more cell types are titrated. More interestingly, we observed a very high frequency of autoreactive T cells in hydatid patients (1/1,000 to 1/2,500) compared with healthy controls (1/5,000 to 1/35,000). These data suggest that chronic infection may provide adequate stimuli for the induction of autoimmune disorders and increase in autoreactive T cells.

Autoimmunity↗
PubMed1992

Natural killer cell frequency and function in patients with monoclonal gammopathies.

We evaluated the frequency and the functional activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with natural killer (NK) cell phenotype in patients with monoclonal gammopathies. CD16+ and CD56+ PBMCs were strongly increased in monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance (MGUS) and multiple myeloma (MM). Furthermore, increased frequency of CD16+/CD3+ PBMCs was found in 7/15 patients with MGUS, indicating that T lymphocytes with NK-like phenotype are expanded in at least a subset of these patients. However, despite the increased frequency of PBMCs with natural killer phenotype, the functional NK activity was as comparable in both MGUS and MM patients as in normal individuals. The discrepancy between the expansion of circulating NK cells and the normal NK activity in patients with monoclonal gammopathies requires further investigation. However, at least in some MGUS patients, this discrepancy could be accounted for by the expansion of PBMCs with the rare phenotype CD16/CD3 which have been reported not to mediate significant NK activity.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

[The expansion of NK CD56+ cells with reduced cytotoxicity in a female patient with systemic sclerosis].

An absolute and relative increase of circulating CD56+ (NKH1, Leu19) natural killer cells has been found in a patient with systemic sclerosis. The expanded natural killer cells exhibited reduced natural killer activity and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the limiting dilution analysis of spontaneous in vitro immunoglobulin synthesis demonstrated that the precursor frequency of immunoglobulin-secreting cells and the "single-hit" kinetics of the titration curve were similar to healthy controls, but strongly different from previously reported patients in whom CD16+NK cell subset was expanded. Thus, our findings might suggest that expanded CD56+ natural killer cells exhibit unique regulatory properties on B cell function in systemic sclerosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

A limiting-dilution analysis of activated circulating B cells in Crohn's disease.

In the present study the spontaneous in vitro production of immunoglobulins G, A, and M by peripheral mononuclear cells was evaluated, in patients with Crohn's disease, in relation to the state of B-cell activation and further characterized by limiting-dilution analysis. A total of 25 patients with Crohn's disease and 10 healthy controls was studied. The proportion of the transferrin receptor-bearing cells in the B7+ subset was higher in active Crohn's disease patients than in either those with quiescent disease or controls. There was a significant rise in the in vitro IgG, IgM, and IgA production in patients with untreated active Crohn's disease compared to either those with untreated quiescent disease or controls. When patients were followed up from the active phase to clinical remission, a significant decrease in the production of IgG and IgM was observed. IgA levels also showed a decrease, although not reaching statistical significance. When the Ig production was analyzed by limiting dilution, no difference was observed between patients and controls in terms of either precursor frequency of Ig-producing cells or patterns of frequency distribution. In both patients and controls a biphasic limiting-dilution profile was observed. This study shows that a significant B-cell activation is present in Crohn's disease patients, which is accompanied by an increase in immunoglobulin production. This study also indicates that in Crohn's disease the increased immunoglobulin production is related to an augmented B-cell clone size rather than to an increased precursor frequency.

B-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed1990

Immunoregulatory effect of a synthetic peptide corresponding to a region of protein p24 of HIV.

The effect of a synthetic peptide, corresponding to a sequence of HIV-1 p24 protein (amino acids 218-237), on in vitro immune responses was studied. The peptide inhibited in a dose-dependent manner the induction of an anti-SRC antibody response and of a PPD-specific proliferative response of human PBL. On the other hand, PHA-induced proliferation of human PBL and PPD-induced proliferation of a PPD-specific human T-cell line were not modified by comparable amounts of the peptide. These results suggest that structures from a protein (p24), present in the serum throughout the course of HIV infection, are able to interfere with the inductive stages of specific immune responses. These findings may help to unravel some of the pathogenic mechanisms of AIDS and may contribute to the development of vaccine strategies.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Cellular immune responses of hydatid patients to Echinococcus granulosus antigens.

The reactivity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 40 hydatid patients to hydatid fluid (HF) and to two hydatid fractions (pH5PPT and pH5SUP) was evaluated by the incorporation of 3H-methylthymidine into DNA. Maximal responses were detected using 200 micrograms/ml protein after 7-9 days incubation. The three antigen preparations were inducers of PBMC proliferation, with a good correlation (r2 = 0.87) of the responses induced by HF and by the fraction pH5PPT, which contains the two major hydatid antigens (5 and B). Lymphocytes from healthy donors and non-hydatid patients showed no response to these antigens. Neither direct nor inverse correlation was found between the results of the serological tests and of the PBMC proliferation assays. The majority of the patients (75%) responded in serological and in cellular tests. Of the remaining patients, six showed high antibody response associated with a negative PBMC proliferation assay and conversely four seronegative patients were found to respond positively in the PBMC proliferation assay. No relationship of the pattern of immune responsiveness to the patient's clinical forms could be established. Use of the PBMC proliferation assay with hydatid antigens appears rational in those patients which are low antibody producers, but the test is still not to be considered applicable for routine diagnosis.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Detection of anti-extractable nuclear antigens in connective tissue diseases: comparison between passive hemagglutination, counterimmunoelectrophoresis and double immunodiffusion.

Antibodies to the three major components of the complex called soluble extractable nuclear antigen (ENA) were detected by passive hemagglutination (HA), counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) and double immunodiffusion (DI) in 256 patients with connective tissue diseases. Anti-ENA antibodies were demonstrated by all the three employed methods in only 44.9% of the cases. These methods were not able to detect all antibodies to these antigens or any single specificity; CIE was however the most sensitive method for anti-RNP and HA for anti-Sm antibodies, while DI was the most suitable technique for serum samples with multiple anti-ENA specificities. Only in less than 50% of the cases the specificity detected by HA was comparable with that given by CIE or DI. Hence, for detecting anti-ENA antibodies a combination of these methods should be maintained, at least until more precise and reliable methods will become available.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗