PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F Serri

Publications and source records attributed to F Serri.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Beta-endorphin in amniotic fluid in normal and hypertensive gestations: relationship with maternal blood pressure parameters.

beta-Endorphin (beta-E) immunoreactivity was measured in the amniotic compartment of 52 normotensive and 45 hypertensive gestations. All the fetuses of the normal group were healthy and showed appropriate intrauterine growth, whereas only suffering and growth-retarded fetuses were included in the pathological group. As expected, amniotic beta-E concentration was found to be significantly higher in hypertensive than in normotensive pregnancies (mean +/- SEM: 129.1 +/- 8.15 vs. 59.1 +/- 2.68 pg/ml; p < or = 0.005). A positive correlation between the hormone levels and the diastolic as well as the mean maternal blood pressure (r: 0.554; p < or = 0.05 and r: 0.525; p < or = 0.05, respectively) was present only in pregnancies complicated by hypertension. Furthermore, a negative correlation (r: -0.555; p < or = 0.05) linked amniotic beta-E and the pulse pressure in normal but not in complicated pregnancies. Unless beta-E in the amniotic compartment is also of amniochorial origin, our results suggest that the fetal endorphinergic tone is either activated by elevated diastolic and mean maternal pressure levels or lowered by increased pulse pressure values in normally elapsing pregnancies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Physiological changes in ageing skin.

The principal functions of the skin include protection, excretion, secretion, absorption, thermoregulation, pigmentogenesis, accumulation, sensory perception and regulation of immunological processes. These functions are all affected by the structural changes in the skin with ageing and, after middle age, most functions are reduced, some by as much as 50-60%. The physiological changes associated with these reductions include impairment of the barrier function, decreased turnover of epidermal cells, reduced numbers of keratinocytes and fibroblasts, and a reduced vascular network particularly around hair bulbs and glands. These changes result in fibrosis and atrophy, and decreases in hair and nail growth, vitamin D synthesis and the density of Langerhans cells. Production of epidermal thymocyte-activating factor, which enhances the T-cell response, is reduced leading to a decrease in the immune response; there is also a decreased functioning of Meissner's and Pacinian corpuscles. An increased generation of free radicals is observed. Certain environmental factors, particularly exposure to sun, accelerate the ageing of skin and are important in cutaneous carcinogenesis.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Plasma alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone during the menstrual cycle in women.

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) immunoreactivity (IR) was measured in the blood of 22 healthy women with normal ovulatory process in the early and late follicular (near to ovulation) phases and in the early luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Plasma alpha-MSH IR ranged from undetectable values to 81.3 pg/ml, the highest levels being found in the late follicular phase (15.52 +/- 4.16 pg/ml). In contrast, plasma ACTH IR was always detectable (range: 18.5-63.2 pg/ml), but its concentration did not differ significantly between the 3 phases of the menstrual cycle. High-pressure liquid chromatography fractionation of Sep pak C18-purified alpha-MSH IR revealed in all 3 phases the presence of 3 major peaks of alpha-MSH IR, coeluting with desacetyl-alpha-MSH, alpha-MSH and diacetyl-alpha-MSH, respectively. The most abundant peak always coeluted with authentic desacetyl-alpha-MSH, and the ratio between this deacetylated and the other 2 acetylated forms was similar in the 2 follicular phases (1:1.25 and 1:1.16 in the early and late phase, respectively), but significantly different in the luteal phase (1:0.48). The fluctuations in plasma concentration of the above MSH-related peptides suggest that different rates of alpha-MSH acetylation and release take place in the pituitary gland depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Correlation between amniotic levels of alpha-MSH, ACTH and beta-endorphin in late gestation and labour in normal and complicated pregnancies.

alpha-MSH, ACTH and beta-endorphin were measured by radioimmunoassay in samples of amniotic fluid collected from the 32nd to the 38th gestational week and at labour from normal pregnancies and pregnancies complicated by gestosis. In normal pregnancies, the concentration of alpha-MSH, ACTH and beta-endorphin remained relatively constant during the last 7 gestational weeks, but increased at labour above the values of the 38th week by 88, 143 and 96%, respectively. A positive correlation between beta-endorphin and alpha-MSH (r = 0.92) or ACTH (r = 0.76) levels was found when labour values were considered in the regression analysis. In contrast, when labour values were excluded, only a poor positive correlation between beta-endorphin and alpha-MSH (r = 0.52) was found. In complicated pregnancies, alpha-MSH and ACTH concentrations were similar to those found in normal pregnancies: on the other hand, the level of beta-endorphin, was found to be 130% higher than normal. As in normal pregnancies, alpha-MSH, ACTH and beta-endorphin levels increased at labour, but only by 46, 44 and 23%, respectively. In contrast to in normal pregnancies, the correlation between beta-endorphin and alpha-MSH or ACTH was not significantly modified by labour values. The present results confirm and extend previous studies showing that beta-endorphin may be considered a marker of fetal distress and that the fetal pituitary is capable of reacting to stressful stimuli in normal and suffering fetuses.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Effects of antiestrogen and progestin on immune functions in breast cancer patients.

Several immunologic variables were evaluated in 14 patients with untreated primary breast cancer and 20 postmastectomized patients undergoing tamoxifen (TAM) or high-dose medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) treatment. Immunologic evaluation in the peripheral blood included lymphocyte count, definition of T-lymphocyte subsets by monoclonal antibodies (OKT3, OKT11, OKT4, and OKT8), and lymphocyte blastogenic response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and Concanavalin A (Con A). Moreover, the in vitro effect of TAM and MPA on the blastogenic response of peripheral lymphocytes from normal female subjects was tested. Primary breast cancer patients did not differ from controls in any of the variables tested. Similarly, the immunologic variables of the group treated with TAM were normal, with the exception of a slight reduction of the OKT4+/OKT8+ ratio. In MPA-treated patients, a reduction of the percentage of OKT4+ cells and a decrease of the OKT4+/OKT8+ ratio were observed. Moreover, response to PHA was reduced sharply. However, the addition of interleukin-2 (IL-2) to the culture medium restored PHA response. Likewise, the in vitro addition of MPA to peripheral blood lymphocytes from normal female subjects resulted in a sharp dose-dependent depression of PHA response while TAM was ineffective completely. The inhibitory effect of MPA was not evident when IL-2 was added simultaneously to the culture medium. These results show that the administration of high-dose MPA may alter immunocompetence as defined by T-lymphocyte subsets and response to mitogens. The latter effect may be related to a diminished production of IL-2. In contrast, TAM does not appear to have a significant immunodepressant action either in vitro or in vivo.

Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte↗
PubMed1988

Des-acetyl-alpha-MSH and not alpha-MSH is the major form of alpha-MSH in amniotic fluid.

Immunoreactive alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (IR-alpha-MSH)-like activity was measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in at term pregnancy amniotic fluid prior and after adsorption on a Sep-pak C18 cartridge. alpha-MSH activity was 3-4 times lower after Sep-pak purification but, unlike the levels of IR-alpha-MSH in the fluid analyzed in toto, increased linearly with the volume of fluid analyzed. Furthermore, fractionation by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed that IR-alpha-MSH recovered from the Sep-pak was due to several peptides rather than to a single peptide. The most abundant of them (50% of total activity) behaved like authentic des-acetyl-alpha-MSH. Since des-acetyl-alpha-MSH is also the most abundant alpha-MSH-like peptide in the fetal pituitary gland, the present results suggest that the fetal pituitary is a main source of des-acetyl-alpha-MSH in the amniotic fluid.

Amniotic Fluid↗
PubMed1988

Treatment of severe psoriasis with somatostatin: four years of experience.

Over a period of 4 years, 20 patients suffering from severe forms of psoriasis (erythrodermic, sub-erythrodermic, resistant generalized forms and/or forms associated with acute arthropathy) were treated with 96 h of continuous i.v. infusion of somatostatin (Stilamin, Serono) diluted in D5W at 250 micrograms/h. In addition to the usual blood chemistry parameters, circadian levels of growth hormone (GH) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) were measured before, during, and after therapy. Approximately 2-3 weeks after termination of therapy, erythrodermic and suberythrodermic symptoms had disappeared. In some patients, a few lesions of psoriasis vulgaris remained, although they were much less severe. Remission of acute arthropathy was impressive. Blood chemistry parameters were unchanged after therapy. Circadian levels of GH and EGF, normal before therapy, were significantly decreased after therapy. The infusion was well-tolerated. Infusion rates of greater than 250 micrograms/h caused only some complaints of abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. During the 4 years, erythrodermic symptoms reappeared only in seven patients, three of whom were also arthropathic. After 6-8 months, they underwent a second course of somatostatin therapy with good results. The other patients are still able to control their disease with tar-based products alone or with low-dose 8-methoxypsoralen + UVA (PUVA) or UV therapy. The arthropathic patients control their symptoms with periodic low-dose nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug therapy.

Epidermal Growth Factor↗
PubMed1986

OKT4/OKT8 ratio and serum beta 2-microglobulin in mycosis fungoides and chronic benign dermatitis.

Pre-treatment Serum Beta 2-microglobulin (S B2-m) and OKT4/OKT8 Ratio (T4/T8 R) were studied in 15 patients with Mycosis Fungoides (MF) and in 10 subjects with Chronic Superficial Benign Dermatitis (CSBD) in order to verify whether these parameters may lend support to an earlier differential diagnosis. S B2-m levels and T4/T8 R showed no significant difference in CSBD as compared to normal controls. MF patients displayed elevated S B2-m and T4/T8 R values in comparison to healthy controls and subjects suffering from CSBD (P less than 0.001). After photochemotherapy (PUVA), markedly decreased S B2-m and T4/T8 R values were observed in all patients but two who proved to be unresponsive to PUVA treatment. On the basis of reported data, S B2-m and T4/T8 R can be regarded as an additional tool to discriminate CSBD and MF when clinical and histological features are not significantly diagnostic. Finally, these parameters seem to provide reliable information in monitoring response to treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Distribution of circulating mononuclear cells in short-term PUVA-treated psoriatic patients and healthy subjects.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), as defined by monoclonal antibodies (OKT3, OKT4, OKT8, OK 1, Leu 7, Leu 11b) were determined in 10 psoriatic patients and in 10 healthy subjects before and after administration of short-term PUVA therapy. A comparison of the mean baseline percentages of the two groups showed a statistically significant increase in Leu 7+ cells (p less than 0.001) as well as a slight increase in OKM1 and OKT8 positive cells in the psoriatic subjects. After 21 exposures, these subsets showed a reduction towards control values, while a significant increase in OKT3 and OKT4 positive cells (p less than 0.01) could be observed only in the control group. These results indicate that short-term PUVA therapy is associated with changes in PBMC subpopulations. This modification, however, does not necessarily imply a disturbance of immune system function, including natural killer activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Age-related mitochondrial lipoperoxidation in human skin.

Mitochondria were isolated from the epidermis of human subjects of different ages by a procedure that included pretreatment of the tissue with bacterial protease before homogenization. That epidermal mitochondria catalyze enzymatic lipid peroxidation in the presence of NADPH and chelated iron (ADP-Fe3+) is indicated by the production of malonaldehyde. The process does not appear to be influenced by age, and it is strongly enhanced in preparations containing a small amount of melanin.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Evaluation of the feto-placental function by means of intraamniotic administration of dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate.

It is well known that in pregnancy dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate (DHEAS) (90% synthetized by the fetal adrenals, 10% by the maternal ones) is converted into estrogens mainly in the placenta. In order to evaluate the steroid metabolizing capacity of the placental enzymatic complex under load conditions, a test was devised based upon a rapid introduction of 200 mg of DHEAS into the amniotic compartment during the third trimester of gestation. The purpose of the present investigation was to establish the clinical utility of such a test in comparison with the simple urinary estrogen determination test.

Amnion↗
PubMed1979

Insulinogenic indexes in psoriasis.

We have earlier demonstrated that in psoriasis there exists a reduced tolerance to carbohydrates in association with hyperinsulinism. To pursue this problem further, we felt it worthwhile to deal with the results of the oral glucose tolerance test performed on 78 subjects (divided into homogenous groups of normal, obese and psoriatic groups, both with and without diabetic genetic history and obesity) with determinations of both blood glucose and blood insulin levels. We have calculated the insulinogenic indexes by using the techniques elaborated by various authors (I/G, delta I/delta G, AI/AG) and we have then carried out a statistical evaluation both of these indexes and of the ratio between the various indexes employing not only the usual techniques but also that of correlation and simple and multiple regression. We have done this in order to evaluate which of these indexes is better suited to demonstrate the physiopathological mechanism concerning the relationship between insulin hypersecretion and reduced carbohydrate tolerance in the various pathological conditions which we have dealt with.

Blood Glucose↗