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Biomedical subjects

F Ursino

Publications and source records attributed to F Ursino.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Distribution of 3-nitrotyrosine in the nasal polyps of atopic patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether formation of nitrotyrosine in the nasal polyps of atopic patients occurs. STUDY DESIGN: A nonrandomized, retrospective, controlled qualitative and quantitative study. METHODS: Nasal polyp tissue samples were acquired from 12 atopic patients. Control fragments of nasal mucosa were taken from 10 patients undergoing corrective surgery of the nasal septum. For routine histologic examinations, hematoxylin-eosin staining was used. Low-magnification microscopy was designed to yield pathologic characteristics and high magnification to quantify the number of eosinophils in the subepithelial connective tissue. Presence of nitrotyrosine was assessed by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: Hematoxylin-eosin staining revealed presence of numerous eosinophils in the epithelium and in the subepithelial connective tissue. All polyps were characterized by epithelial damage. Nitrotyrosine was present in the eosinophils, in the ciliated cell, and in cells of the damaged epithelium. Goblet cells, glands, and vessels were found to be negative. No significant differences concerning the localization of nitrotyrosine were recognized among the examined nasal polyps. CONCLUSIONS: Nitrotyrosine immunohistochemical staining in nasal-polyp tissues suggested the existence of progressive epithelium injury caused by peroxynitrite. Consequences of peroxynitrite formation in eosinophils remain to be precisely established. The lack of nitrotyrosine in glands and blood vessels indicated that peroxynitrite does not have a significant role in the vascular and glandular dysfunction of nasal polyps.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Antibodies to inner ear antigens in Meniere's disease.

Meniere's disease (MD) is an idiopathic inner ear disorder characterized by fluctuating hearing loss, episodic vertigo and tinnitus. Its aetiology is unknown, although there is growing evidence that autoimmunity may be involved in its development. Using the Western blot immunoassay, we examined the reactivity to bovine inner ear antigens of sera from a series of MD patients who had previously been extensively studied for the presence of antibodies to collagens and membrane proteins. Reactivity to inner ear antigens of molecular weight 44 and 53 kD was found in 11/25 (44%) and 10/25 (40%) of the patients, respectively; both antigens were absent in the sera of healthy donors. It is still unclear whether the antibodies to 44 and 53 kD proteins play a role in the pathogenesis of MD or if they instead represent the result of inflammation and tissue destruction. Even if the latter is true, they may contribute to the perpetuation of the disease or play a role as a cofactor in association with other mechanisms.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Positron emission tomography (PET) in the staging of head neck cancer: comparison between PET and CT.

Standard pre-treatment clinical staging (TNM) of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma includes clinical and instrumental objective examination of primary tumour and of the cervical lymph nodes (inspection, palpation of neck, panendoscopy, biopsy of tumour, fine needle aspiration of nodes) and computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Albeit, this procedure presents diagnostic limitations in the identification of approximately 1/3 of T1, of small sized nodes and in the diagnosis of metastases. Positron emission tomography-fluorodesoxy-glucose imaging, in the diagnostic workup of these cases, appears to offer an important contribution, however, its use is limited due to poor availability of this equipment and the high cost of the examination. In the present study, a comparison is made of results of standard clinical staging and positron emission tomography-fluorodesoxy-glucose in 22 patients with head and neck carcinoma prior to surgical treatment, with the results of pathological staging (pTNM) carried out on surgical specimens. In the staging of the tumour, computed tomography shows a sensitivity of 71% and positron emission tomography of 81%. In the staging of nodes, computed tomography imaging shows a sensitivity of 73%, a specificity of 57% and an accuracy of 68%, whereas positron emission tomography shows a sensitivity of 93%, a specificity of 100% and an accuracy of 95%. Furthermore, positron emission tomography identified 1/5 occult tumours and one tumour revealed at objective endoscopic examination, but not by computed tomography. The risk of occult nodes following positron emission tomography was found to be 7%. Overall, these results are in keeping with those reported in the literature, thus confirming the usefulness of positron emission tomography-fluorodesoxy-glucose in identifying occult tumours and nodes, in which computed tomography appears to be limited. Indications of positron emission tomography-fluorodesoxy-glucose may play a role in the choice of therapeutic options for the clinically N0 neck.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Alternobaric oxygen therapy in long-term treatment of Ménière's disease.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBQ) has been used for several years as a treatment for Ménière's disease, particularly in Sweden. In this study continuous variations in pressure (from 1.7 to 2.2 ATA; alternobaric oxygen therapy: ABOT) were used to decrease endolymphatic hydrops, the typical histopathological substrate of Ménière's disease by increasing hydrostatic pressure and mechanical stimulation of the endolymphatic flow toward the duct and the endolymphatic sac, which produces a consequent increase in the dissolved O2 content in the labyrinth liquid, which should contribute to recovering cell metabolism and restoring cochlear electrophysiological function to normal. An experimental group of 20 patients suffering from unilateral Ménière's disease received a total of 15 ABOT treatment sessions during the acute episodes. Treatment foresaw two days without therapy every five days of application. Maintenance treatment consisted of one session per day for five consecutive days every month for one year. Thereafter, during the second, third, and fourth years of treatment, patients were submitted to one session per day for five consecutive days every three months. A control group of 18 patients suffering from Ménière's disease was treated with 10% glycerol i.v. (during the acute episodes) and with betahistine (8 mg x 3/day) in the periods in between. Mean pure tone average (PTA in dBHL) hearing thresholds at octave frequencies from 500 to 3,000Hz, and frequency of episodes of vertigo and tinnitus, both after 15 days of treatment and at the end of a four-year follow-up, were compared for both groups according to the 1995 Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium criteria. No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups at the end of the first 15 days of treatment. However, at the end of the follow-up period, patients treated with ABOT had significantly fewer vertiginous episodes and improved PTAs and tinnitus compared to the controls. The results support the use of ABOT as a valid alternative to drugs in the long-term treatment of Ménière's disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Progressive sensorineural hearing loss in childhood.

A progressive sensorineural hearing loss in childhood, with an extremely variable prevalence (from 4% to 30%), has been reported in the literature. This wide range of reported figures could depend on the different criteria used for identifying the deterioration, the groups, and the examined age ranges. The most frequent etiology of progressive sensorineural hearing loss in childhood includes hereditary causes, both syndromic and nonsyndromic, and developmental and infectious causes, whereas metabolic, toxic, autoimmune, traumatic, and vascular etiologies are less common; however, the origin of the hearing impairment often remains unknown. The population for this study consisted of 178 children with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss who were examined between 1971 and 1993 using audiologic tests. Syndromal genetic hearing loss was excluded from the study. A progressive loss of acuity was found in 11 subjects, with a prevalence of 6.2%. The etiology was hereditary deafness in five patients, congenital infection in one, and congenital inner ear anomaly in another patient; in the last four children the etiology was unknown. Onset of deterioration was after 4 years of age in 73% of the patients. The progressive evolution was binaural in almost all patients (10 of 11) and asymmetric in most, with a tendency to a greater deterioration at the frequencies initially least affected.

Age of Onset↗
PubMed1998

Neuro-laryngeal involvement in Churg-Strauss syndrome.

We report our clinical experience in managing a 59-year-old Italian male with Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) whose first clinical manifestation was a persistent dysphonia; the patient worked as a mechanic. Video-laryngostroboscopic examination revealed paresis of the right vocal fold with a reduction in adduction together with incomplete glottal closure. Spectrographic and spirometric tests both showed abnormal changes. Laryngeal electromyography revealed neurogenic damage of the right thyroarytenoid and crycoarytenoid muscles. Due to the appearance of typical signs of systemic involvement of CSS as a necrotizing vasculitis, the patient was admitted to the Rheumatology Unit of the University of Pisa. Histologic analysis of a skin lesion on the patient's foot confirmed the diagnosis. Treatment with 6-methylprednisolone quickly brought remission from systemic and laryngeal symptoms, as well as improvement in the results of video-laryngostroboscopic, spectrographic and laryngeal myographic tests.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗
PubMed1998

[Progressive sensorineural hearing loss in childhood].

Prevalence of progressive sensorineural hearing loss in childhood seems to be extremely variable, as percentages reported range from 4 to 30%. Differences in the criteria employed for identifying the deterioration, in the groups of patients, and the age range, could explain this wide range of reported figures. The etiology of the progressive sensorineural hearing loss in infants can be hereditary or acquired. Hereditary causes are divided into syndromic and non-syndromic, whereas the acquired causes include congenital or acquired infection (syphilis, cytomegalovirus, rubella virus and toxoplasma infections, bacterial meningitis and acquired viral infections) and congenital inner ear anomalies (Mondini's dysplasia, large vestibular aqueduct, large cochlear aqueduct). Other acquired causes such as disorders of the metabolism, chronic use of ototoxic drugs, autoimmune diseases, perilymphatic fistula and head or acoustic trauma are less common. The age of onset of deterioration shows a great variability because even the congenital hearing losses may occur late after birth. The progressive evolution seems to be binaural in most patients, but more commonly it presents interaural differences, and when the hearing deficit is initially asymmetrical the deterioration is usually greater in the ear which appeared least affected in the first audiogram. Furthermore, at the different frequencies, there is a tendency to a greater deterioration at the frequencies initially least affected, but some authors are not in agreement because they report a uniform pattern of progression in the range of 0.5 to 4 kHz with no modification of the audiometric shape in most of the examined patients.

Child↗
PubMed1998

[Progressive sensorineural hearing loss: immunologic etiology].

An auto-immune progressive sensorineural hearing loss (PSNHL) can occur as one of the clinical features of systemic immune-mediated disorders, such as Cogan's syndrome, Behçet's disease, Wegener's granulomatosis, mixed cryoglobulinaemia, systemic sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, giant cell arteritis, panarteritis nodosa, relapsing polychondritis, unclassified systemic vasculitides, etc, or as a distinct clinical entity, the so-called auto-immune inner ear disease. The clinical evolution of the hearing loss during the course of the systemic disease is extremely variable (slowly progressive versus rapidly progressive), while the auto-immune inner ear disease is usually characterized by a rapidly developing (weeks or months) progressive hearing loss. In both cases a timely clinical assessment and treatment can positively affect the prognosis of the hypoacusia. To date, no laboratory test will give a sure diagnosis of autoimmune hearing loss and only a good response to corticosteroid and/or cytostatic treatment can indirectly confirm this diagnosis. The laboratory tests that are usually performed can be divided into aspecific and specific tests, the latter evaluating the immune-mediated response to the specific inner ear antigen. Evaluation of the aspecific parameters sometimes shows high values of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein, but often no alteration of the inflammation parameters is observed. However, the specific tests seem to achieve higher sensibility and sensitivity but to date they are not available in clinical practice. In this study we examined a group of 13 patients affected with bilateral idiopathic PSNHL who underwent Western Blot, which is a specific test for the inner ear antigen. A positive result was found in 53.8% of the cases; in particular, all 3 patients who had an improvement of hearing loss with corticosteroid treatment, and therefore were probably suffering from auto-immune progressive hearing loss, had a positive result to the Western Blot test.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Sequelae of bacterial meningitis in childhood: a study of hearing impairment].

Bacterial meningitis is an infection of the central nervous system involving quite a number of neurological sequelae the most common of which is hearing impairment. To assess the incidence of audiological deficit the authors evaluated retrospectively 20 patients, between 4 months and 11 years of age, observed at the Pediatric Clinic at the University of Pisa between 1988 and 1993. A clinical-neurological examination and a complete auditory assessment (using BAEPs and impedence audiometry) has been performed in every patient between 1 and 18 months after they left hospital. 4 children had persisting neurological sequelae, 3 patients developed sensorineural hearing loss and one child visual impairment and seizures. Haemophilus Influenzae was responsible for 2 cases of sequelae and Streptococcus Pneumoniae for the other 2 cases. The number of days of illness before hospitalization and the institution of an antibacterial treatment, persistence of fever and deviation from the normal level of consciousness and persistence of neck rigidity were not correlated with the presence of sequelae. No correlation has been found between sensorineural hearing loss and the kind of antibacterial therapy. It's advisable that every child, following bacterial meningitis, should undergo a complete and repeated audiological assessment to detect any lesser impairments and/or unilateral losses that may damage the development of speech and language in any way.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗
PubMed1995

Anti-HCMV serologic response in patients with acute viral hepatitis.

The authors point out a high serological incidence of HCMV infection in the course of HCV hepatitis compared to a low incidence detected in HBV and HAV hepatitis. Three immunoglobulin classes (IgG, IgM, and IgA) specific to HCMV were investigated. Antibody titers of each immunoglobulin class are reported for all the cases of HCMV infection.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1991

Xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in human respiratory nasal mucosa.

Study of oxidative and non-oxidative xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes was undertaken in microsomal and cytosolic fractions of two human livers, 10 individual and several pooled samples of human respiratory nasal mucosa obtained by surgical operation of male and female patients affected by hypertrophy of the inferior turbinates. The purity of nasal microsomes was checked by electron microscopy and marker enzyme assay. The pooled samples of respiratory nasal epithelium contained, relative to liver, a low amount of cytochrome P450 (about 25 pmol/mg protein) and associated biotransformation activities, and a low level of other components of the mixed-function oxidase system such as cytochrome b5, NADH and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase however the NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase activity was comparable to that of liver. The P450-dependent monooxygenase activities such as ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase, ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase and the dimethylnitrosamine N-demethylase were found in nearly all nasal microsomal specimens. The aniline hydroxylase and the aminopyrine or hexamethylphosphoramide N-demethylases were detected only in the pooled nasal samples. With regard to the non-oxidative enzymes, the activities of glutathione S-transferase, DT-diaphorase, epoxide hydrolase, UDP-glucuronyl-transferase, carbonyl reductase, benzaldehyde and propionaldehyde dehydrogenases, were investigated both in the individual and pooled nasal tissues and livers. These activities were similar in nasal and liver tissue, except for UDP-glucuronyltransferase which was not detected in nasal mucosa. The present findings demonstrate that the respiratory section of human nose contains a wide array of oxidative and non-oxidative enzymes, which could play a crucial role in the bioactivation or detoxication in situ of inhaled xenobiotics.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Digital subtraction radiology in the study of mobile structures of the larynx].

Digital subtraction radiography (DSR) was applied to the study of the larynx in 11 healthy subjects and 15 pathological cases. The method, consisting in the subtraction of images obtained at rest and during phonation or respiratory phases, allowed a clear definition of the normal moving structures--i.e. vocal cords, false cords, pyriform sinuses, thyroid cartilage. Moreover, several pathological conditions could be demonstrated. DSR asserts thus itself as a suitable technique in the functional evaluation of the glottis.

Fluoroscopy↗