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Biomedical subjects

F Scuderi

Publications and source records attributed to F Scuderi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Relationship between urinary neopterin excretion and islet cell antibodies in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes.

Neopterin is specifically produced by interferon-activated macrophages, and it may be considered a marker of cellular immunity. In 40 newly diagnosed and 38 longer standing type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetics the relationship between urinary neopterin levels and islet cell antibodies (ICA) was investigated. Raised urinary neopterin levels were found in 30 ICA positive (mean +/- SD: 729.8 +/- 602.1 mumol/mol creatinine, p = 0.0001) and 10 ICA negative (433.4 +/- 191.2 mumol/mol creatinine, p = 0.0005) diabetics at onset of disease compared with age-matched control subjects (118.1 +/- 33.2 mumol/mol creatinine). No significant difference in urinary neopterin levels was observed between diabetic groups. After the first stages of disease (greater than 5 months from onset), a significant difference (p = 0.0002) in urinary neopterin excretion was found between longer standing ICA positive patients and controls, but not between ICA negative diabetics and controls. In longer standing diabetics, neopterin levels were significantly higher in ICA positive patients than in ICA negative patients (544.6 +/- 341.3 versus 201.7 +/- 180 mumol/mol creatinine, p = 0.0002). No correlation between newly diagnosed or longer standing patients and HbA1c levels was found. Our results suggest that increased neopterin excretion in type 1 diabetes seems to be a sensitive indicator for the activation of cell-mediated immunity even when ICA are undetectable.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Immunogenetic and functional study of first-degree relatives of patients with type I diabetes mellitus for identifying prediabetic subjects].

Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease with HLA-related genetic susceptibility. There is a latent phase before overt disease. During this phase islet cell antibodies (ICA) as a marker of humoral autoimmunity are detected and i.v. glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) is decreased. The aim of our work was to correlate IVGTT, HLA typing and ICA testing in all siblings of IDDM patients in order to identify high risk subjects (HRS). IVGTT showed significantly lower insulin levels in siblings vs controls (P less than 0.0001). This phenomenon could be caused by HLA unrelated genetic predisposition to low insulin secretion. Insulin level values of ICA+ siblings were lower than those of ICA- siblings, even if the difference was not significant.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1989

Anti-AChR-negative myasthenia gravis: clinical and immunological features.

The clinical and immunological characteristics of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients without detectable anti-Acetylcholine Receptor (anti-AChR) antibody were studied. Sixty anti-AChR negative MG patients were compared with 287 anti-AChR positive cases. Significant differences were found with respect to the sex incidence, the disease severity and the thymic pathology, while the age at the onset of the disease, the presence of other auto-antibodies and the efficacy of medical treatments were similar in the two groups of patients. Anti-AChR-negative MG could have pathogenetic mechanisms different from the antibody-positive disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Negative correlation between ICA persistence and beta cell restoration after IDDM diagnosis.

We have studied 27 insulin-dependent diabetic patients since diagnosis for a period of six months; at diabetes onset and later on, ICA were found in 17 of them, whereas they were undetectable in 10 patients: age was remarkably homogeneous in the two groups. At diabetes onset, no significant differences were found in insulin requirement between ICA positive and ICA negative patients; however, six months after diagnosis, we observed that insulin requirement to keep metabolic control was significantly higher in ICA positive than in ICA negative subjects (0.515 +/- 0.2 U/Kg versus 0.22 +/- 0.15 U/Kg, p less than 0.001). Only one remission has been detected in ICA positive group (insulin requirement less than 0.25 U/Kg), while four ICA negative patients had complete remission and three had partial remission. ICA positive patients showed fasting C-peptide values higher than ICA negative (0.5 +/- 0.28 ng/ml versus 1.4 +/- 0.5 ng/m.; p less than 0.001, at rest; 1.1 +/- 0.6 ng/ml; versus 2.6 +/- 1.0 ng/ml, 6 minutes after stimulus; p less than 0.05). Our study suggests that presence and persistence of ICA may be considered an early and predictive marker for a worse beta cell function restoration resulting in a higher insulin requirement.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

When is there a full recovery for a myasthenia gravis patient?

A myasthenia gravis (MG) patient who seems to have recovered can later have recurrence of myasthenic signs. Clearly clinical remission does not always correspond to the normalization of all the factors involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. In ten patients who had apparently recovered from MG, electromyographic tests of repetitive supramaximal stimulation were performed and the anti-acetylcholine receptor (anti-AChR) antibody was assessed. In two of the ten patients all these tests were normal, thus showing lack of electromyographic myasthenic fatigability and the absence of circulating anti-AChR antibodies. Our hypothesis is that for these two subjects the risk of a recurrence of MG is lower than for the others.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Myasthenia gravis, thymectomy, and antiacetycholine receptor antibody.

The antiacetylcholine receptor antibody was titered in the serum of 63 patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and 20 control healthy subjects. The titer was significantly high in 92% of MG patients in contrast with none of the controls and no correlation was found with the thymus pathology and the severity of the disease. The titer decreased after thymectomy almost steadily with the improvement of the myasthenic signs. The role of the antibody in the pathogenesis of the disease is discussed.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1980

IgD (kappa) "nonsecretory" multiple myeloma: report of a case.

A case of IgD "nonsecretory" multiple myeloma in a 46-yr-old woman is reported. Despite the presence of disseminated osteolytic lesions, both serum protein electrophoresis and serum and urine immunoelectrophoresis were normal. In addition, bone scintigraphic study was normal. Bone marrow biopsy and aspirate obtained from the left femur lytic lesion showed only myelomatous proplasmocytes; when examined by immunofluorescence with monospecifc antisera, the cytoplasm showed only the presence of delta and kappa chains, suggesting that the neoplastic plasma cells might belong to a single clone. Lymphocyte studies indicated the presence of a normal amount of both B and T cells.

Alpha-Globulins↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The association of silent thyroiditis with active systemic lupus erythematosus.

Autoimmune thyroid disorders have been shown to occur in patients with connective tissue diseases. Hypothyroidism and thyrotoxicosis have been recognized in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Moreover, a high prevalence of antithyroid antibodies has been found in patients with SLE. We studied thyroid function in a group of SLE female patients without a history or clinical diagnosis of thyroid disease and then correlated the prevalence of abnormal function test results with the laboratory indexes of active disease and with the presence of antithyroid antibodies. The SLE patients had significantly lower T4 levels than the controls. Basal TSH and TSH concentrations after TRH stimulation were significantly higher in patients with active SLE in comparison to both patients with inactive SLE and to controls. 45.5% of patients with active SLE presented antithyroid antibodies. Antithyroglobulin and antimicrosomal antibodies were not found in patients with inactive SLE nor in controls. Our results confirm the existence of a mild hypothyroidism in SLE that is clinically silent. The altered thyroid function appears to be dependent on the activity of the systemic autoimmune process.

Antibodies↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[A case of transitory Fanconi syndrome associated with acute renal insufficiency and hypoplasia of the bone marrow].

The authors report a case of an eight-years old child, who presented with transient Fanconi syndrome, mild renal failure and hypoplastic bone marrow. No recognized etiology of the Fanconi syndrome was demonstrated in the patient. Laboratory data and clinical course are consistent with the hypothesis of a tubulo-interstitial lesion caused, directly or through an abnormal immune response, by an unknown etiologic agent.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Epidemiologic research for thalassemia and hemoglobinopathy traits in the territory of a local health unit in Liguria].

The authors investigated the incidence of thalassemia traits and hemoglobinopathies in western Liguria, where up to 70% of people comes from other italian regions, particularly from the South. The authors screened 442 primary school pupils in Albenga and Andora (Savona). Laboratory investigations permitted to detect 19 thalassemia trait carrier subjects (4.30% of the total examined): 12 of them were diagnosed heterozygous for beta-thalassemia, 6 for alpha-thalassemia, and 1 for Hb S. Authors would underline that more than half of the screening positive subjects resulted carrier of beta-thalassemia or Hb S trait, both potentially able to give origin to severe diseases: homozygous beta-thalassemia, sickle cell anemia, and beta-thalassemia/Hb S double heterozygosity.

Anemia, Sickle Cell↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Keratoconjunctivitis sicca in rheumatoid arthritis: correlation with the autoantibody pattern].

In order to evaluate the autoantibody pattern of subjects affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with clinical features of keratoconjunctivitis, we studied 32 out- and in-patients (26 women, 6 men, average age 52 years, average disease duration 5.5 years) at the Division of Rheumatology, Catholic University of Rome. We found keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia in 22 (68.75%) patients with RA. Rheumatoid factor was present in 17 (53.1%) patients, antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were observed in 15 (48.4%) patients, and anti-rheumatoid arthritis nuclear antigens (RANA) in 22 (68.7%) patients; anti-SSA antibodies were confirmed in 3 (9.4%) patients and anti-SSB antibodies in 2 (6.2%) patients. None of the patients evidenced anti-U1RNP. Although keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia correlated significantly with the presence of rheumatoid factor, we found no relationship between these two conditions and ANA or anti-RANA antibodies. The high frequency of keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia in our RA patients is the expression of extra-articular involvement in this disease and is correlated with the presence of rheumatoid factor. ANA and anti-RANA antibodies may represent aspecific polyclonal activation in RA.

Adult↗