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Biomedical subjects

F Stella

Publications and source records attributed to F Stella.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Structural dentofacial variations in maxilla expansion.

BACKGROUND: The control of vertical dimension is important in those subjects who need a correction of the maxillary transversal diameters, in order to project a correct therapeutical plan and not to make worse an eventual contemporary long-face. This research intends to consider the vertical dimension changes of the cranio-facial middle third caused by palatal expansion, in relation to technique and patient's age. METHODS: We have compared orthodontic-orthopedic expansion both with elastic appliances ("w" expansion palatal arch), stiff ones (Hyrax-type appliance) and surgically assisted expansion which combines the action of Hyrax-type appliance with a bilateral corticotomy of zygomatic buttress. Among treatments of this kind which have been carried out in Odontological Clinic of University of Verona, we have selected three groups of subjects who have been treated with orthopedic expansion the first one in infantile age, the second one in adult age, and the third one with surgically assisted expansion. At the end of the treatment, we have evaluated dimension changes of the cranio-facial third middle caused by therapy, with the aid of a cephalometric analysis made on purpose. RESULTS: The results obtained are similar in the case of orthopedic expansion in young people and in surgically assisted expansion, while the increase of vertical dimension caused by the orthopedics expansion in grown-up people is more substantial. CONCLUSIONS: Considering these data, it appears that the surgically assisted expansion is more effectual and physiological for the correction of transversal deficiencies of maxilla in grown-up people.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

[Functional therapy of Class II Division 1. Comparison of three activators: Andresen, Fränkel and Teuscher].

BACKGROUND: A comparative study is reported about the efficiency of three activators (Andresen, Fränkel and Teuscher) in the treatment of Class II Division 1 malocclusions in a group of patients with different facial types. METHODS: A group of 20 patients in mixed dentition has been selected. The subjects were between 8 and 14 years old, provided with a complete radiographic documentation, treated in the Odontological Clinic of the University of Verona for a period no longer than 24 months. The study has been made using a cephalometric informatic program with a graphic computer. After a revision of orthopaedic functional literature, cephalometric values which, according to personal opinion, reflect the modifications occurred during treatment and growth have been chosen. Then these values have been reported in a triplic analytic configuration. RESULTS: The achieved results in each group of patients with the three activators have been examined analyzing structural modifications produced in the skeletric and in the dento-alveolar region. The comparison between the results obtained with the three activators and the findings reported in the majority of literature hasn't shown great disagreements. CONCLUSIONS: In the correction of Class II Division 1 malocclusions Andresen appliance is valid in subjects with normal/hypodivergent skeletric structure, while in patients with a facial type tending to "dolicocephal" the Fränkel function regulator and, in particular, Teuscher activator combined with extraoral traction have produced positive results with a contemporary correction of the sagittal skeletric discrepance.

Activator Appliances↗
PubMed1999

A pitfall with the use of 111In-pentetreotide scintigraphy in the resected bronchopulmonary carcinoids follow-up: a case report.

AIM: To re-evaluate the use of 111In-pentetreotide scintigraphy (Octreoscan) in the follow-up of patients operated for carcinoids, as second-step investigation, after chest X-ray, CT-scan and serological marker' levels. METHODS AND RESULTS: We describe the case of a female patient, 58-year-old, operated on for a non-secretory lung carcinoid. Five years after surgery, the CT-scan showed the enlargement of the bilateral hylo-mediastinal lymph nodes, suggestive for carcinoid recurrences. In order to confirm that, the patient was submitted to an Octreoscan that showed the presence of enlarged hylo-mediastinal adenopathies matching with the lesions observed at the CT-scan. Because the serological examination of NSE, chromogranin and serotonin, and the 5-HIIA were in the normal range, the patient was submitted to a lymph node biopsy through a mediastinoscopy. The histological examination of the specimens revealed a sarcoidosis and the patient was started on steroid therapy with good outcome. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that: 1. the octreoscan scintigraphy in the follow-up of resected carcinoids can give false-positive results and 2. in consequence, the mediastinoscopy is a discriminating investigation in case of mediastinal lymph nodes disease.

Carcinoid Tumor↗
PubMed1999

Difficulties with CT-guided needle biopsy and VATS, as combined approach for the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral pulmonary nodules: a case report.

AIM: To re-evaluate the use of CT-guided needle biopsy and VATS, as our combined approach protocol for the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral pulmonary nodules. METHODS AND RESULTS: We describe the case of a male smoking patient, 50-year-old, who came to our service for the histological diagnosis of a right pulmonary lesion incidentally revealed. He was submitted to our diagnostic and therapeutic protocol for peripheral pulmonary nodules, that is a combined approach of CT-guided needle biopsy, anchorage of the lesion and VATS resection. Difficulties with this technique can raise when: 1. the cytological CT-guided needle biopsy is not diagnostic, 2. the anchorage is not successful, 3. the malignancy of the lesion cannot be surely determined by the extemporary histological examination. In this patient all these difficulties were encountered. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that our diagnostic and therapeutic protocol for peripheral pulmonary nodules is not invalidated by this experience, even in consideration of the fact that we applied successfully the protocol in several previous cases.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗
PubMed1998

Radioimmunoguided surgery and intraoperative lung cancer staging.

Radioimmunoguided surgery (RIGS) has proven its worth, especially when used in primary, recurrent, and metastatic colon-rectum adenocarcinomas, and in liver metastases from other intestinal adenocarcinomas. Until now, RIGS has not been investigated for lung cancer surgery, chiefly because of problems related to the blood pool radioactivity background which is at its highest in the thoracic area. The positive RIGS experience with other tumors encouraged us to investigate its effectiveness in lung adenocarcinomas. In six cases, RIGS gave excellent results in the detection of primary pulmonary lesions; no false negatives or false positives were shown. Data on lymph nodes revealed one false negative. Immunohistochemical staining was always performed in association with traditional pathology of the resected specimens. In one case, a noncancerous lesion, as defined by traditional hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, confirmed RIGS intraoperative finding of nonmalignant tissue.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1995

Quantitation of HIV-1 p24 antibody expressed as relative binding capacity p24 antigen (p24 RBC) in infants born to HIV-1 seropositive mothers: correlation of this serological marker with the HIV-1 maternal antibody course and p24 antigenemia detection.

The antibody content to HIV-1 p24 Ag expressed as relative binding capacity to the target antigen (p24 RBC) was retrospectively quantified in serum samples from 20 HIV-1-uninfected infants born to HIV-1 seropositive mothers. p24 RBC values quantified at birth were included either in a low (0-20%) or high (80-100%) range of values, classified as group A (11 infants) and group B (9 infants), respectively. The course of maternal antibodies to HIV-1 antigens p17, p24, p31, gp41, p51, p66, gp120, and gp160 was studied in each group. A substantial difference in the amount and subsequently in the decline of maternal antibodies to gag proteins p17, p24, and p55 and to pol proteins p51 and p66 was observed in the two infant groups in contrast with a similar content and decline of the remaining antibodies. In 7 HIV-1-infected infants of whom 4 resembled infant group A and 3 infant group B for p24 RBC values, a relationship appeared between p24 antibody decline and p24 antigenemia detection.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed1992

Urothelial toxicity following conditioning therapy in bone marrow transplantation and bladder cancer: morphologic and morphometric comparison by exfoliative urinary cytology.

Since cyclophosphamide and busulphan used for therapy of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) can cause urothelial cell changes similar to those found in bladder cancer, comparative morphologic and morphometric urinary cytologic research was carried out, examining 812 urine samples taken from 121 patients undergoing BMT and 60 urine samples from 20 patients with bladder cancer. The morphological results showed some differences in the characteristics of the urinary sediment in urothelial toxicity caused by conditioning therapy in BMT and in bladder cancer; among these were background, cellularity, leukocytes, urothelial cell arrangement, cell shape and size, vacuolization, mitosis, and nucleoli. A comparative morphometric study was also carried out, showing differences regarding cell area, nuclear area and perimeter, and N/C ratio, especially between well-differentiated bladder cancer and urothelial toxicity.

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗
PubMed1990

Ferritin and transferrin levels in human breast cyst fluids: relationship with intracystic electrolyte concentrations.

The concentrations of sodium and potassium and the content of ferritin and transferrin, proteins considered as potential markers for identifying cells undergoing divisional activity, were measured in fluid from 30 human breast cysts. On the basis of the relative electrolyte concentrations, two main classes of cysts were defined. When the cyst fluids were subdivided according to their Na+/K+ ratio, a significant difference was found between menstruating vs. menopausal patients. The relationship between the two major iron-binding proteins and the Na+/K+ ratio may indicate the expression of a local higher biosynthetic activity in apocrine cysts associated with higher cancer risk.

Body Fluids↗
PubMed1990

[Serum levels of Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn in cigarette smokers].

In order to show the accumulation of Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn in smokers, levels of these metals in serum were determined in 108 subjects: 32 non-smokers, 37 average cigarette smokers and 39 heavy cigarette smokers. The analysis was carried out by potentiometric stripping analysis (PSA) with the Tecator "Striptec System". Backward oxidation time of the amalgamated metals, by means of electrolysis, in a thin "film" of mercury in an electrode, gives their concentration measure. Our data showed an increase in average values of Cd and Pb in the serum of heavy smokers compared with average and non-smokers. Instead, as regards Cu and Zn, no differences were found in the two groups of smokers compared with the non-smokers used as controls. Results obtained of the Cd and Pb levels in serum are compatible with the presence of these metals in cigarette tobacco and inhaling them could contribute to disease connected with their accumulation in the human organism. For these subjects the increase in Cd values is of particular importance as it could predispose pulmonary emphysema.

Cadmium↗
PubMed1990

[Histochemical demonstration of CEA in pathology of the colorectum].

The evaluation of CEA serum levels and CEA tissue staining is one of the most common parameters used to help in the diagnosis and prognosis of colon-rectum disease. To this aim, an immunohistochemical demonstration of the CEA was carried out with the ABC staining system in sections of normal and diseased colon. 24 patients with polyps of the large intestine, 17 with rectocolitis, 22 with colon-rectum cancer and 11 normal subjects were studied. Results were positive in 9, 1% of the normal mucosa, 37, 5% of the polyps, 41, 2% of the rectocolitis and 100% of the carcinomas. However, the CEA in the positive reactions showed different degrees of staining and different cellular localization. From our results it would appear that the intracellular localization of this marker is connected with the degree of atypia in the histological sections. Immunohistochemical localization of the CEA could therefore be useful, above all in assessing the prognosis of colon-rectum disease.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1987

Lactate dehydrogenase, isoenzyme patterns and cation levels in human breast gross cyst fluid.

In order to investigate the diagnostic and/or prognostic value of total activity and isoenzymatic patterns of lactate dehydrogenase, 24 human breast gross cystic fluids were studied. A comparison of total lactate dehydrogenase activity to the serum level revealed an increased activity in about 63% of the cases examined; moreover, a significant increase in the slow-moving lactate dehydrogenase 4 and 5 isoenzymes was observed in some cyst fluids. The levels of Na+ and K+ concentrations were also analyzed and two classes of cysts were identified: one presenting Na+ and K+ levels similar to those found in extracellular compartment; the other with high K+ and low Na+ levels, characteristic of an intracellular fluid. This latter pattern could indicate an active metabolism of the epithelial cells lining the cysts. This breast cyst fluid also showed increased levels of lactate dehydrogenase 4 and 5 isoenzymes. The correlation between an increased activity of lactate dehydrogenase 4 and 5 isoenzymes and high K+ and low Na+ levels could be the expression of a high biosynthetic activity and of an anaerobic metabolism in some cysts, suggesting the evolution of the breast gross cyst lesion to malignancy. The importance of these observations is discussed.

Body Fluids↗
PubMed1987

[Carcinoembryonic antigen in a review of cases in the literature].

Literature analysis of CEA serum levels tested in 21,147 patients, with non neoplastic and neoplastic disease of various organs, are reported. The sensitivity, the specificity, the positive and negative prognostic trend and the effective value of test in different pathologic situations are evaluated on the basis of organ localization and embryological origin.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1986

Ciprofloxacin in experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa meningitis in rabbits.

The potential of ciprofloxacin for the therapy of Pseudomonas aeruginosa meningitis was evaluated in an animal model by determining the penetration of the drug into CSF, its concentration-dependent killing characteristics in vivo, and its relative efficacy compared with ceftazidime and tobramycin. Meningitis was produced in 40 rabbits by intracisternal injection of 3 X 10(7) organisms. The drugs were administered intravenously over seven hours, and simultaneously serum and CSF samples were taken at 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 h for determination of drug concentration and CSF bacterial counts. The percentage penetration of ciprofloxacin (18.4 +/- 12.3; mean +/- standard deviation) in infected rabbits was substantially increased over that found in uninfected rabbits (4.1 +/- 1.3). The rate of bacterial killing for animals treated with ceftazidime (100 mg/kg/h) and high doses of tobramycin (2.5 mg/kg/h) was -0.51 +/- 0.13 (log10 cfu/ml/h). This was similar to the rate of killing (-0.48 +/- 0.2) found when ciprofloxacin was infused at 5 mg/kg/h, a dose that produced a mean serum level of 6.7 +/- 4.6 mg/l, which corresponds to concentrations achievable in humans. As dosages were increased (15 and 30 mg/kg/h), the rate of bacterial killing also increased (-0.70 +/- 0.1 and -0.89 +/- 0.4 respectively; r = 0.7407; P less than 0.01). The drugs shows promise in the treatment of pseudomonas meningitis.

Animals↗