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Biomedical subjects

G Astolfi

Publications and source records attributed to G Astolfi.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Congenital heart defects: 15 years of experience of the Emilia-Romagna Registry (Italy).

OBJECTIVES: Collection and assessment of data from the Emilia-Romagna Region on the occurrence of congenital heart defects in order to identify an homogeneous group of patients for further aetiologic and genetic studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is based on 1549 stillborn and live born babies affected by congenital heart defect out of 330,017 consecutive births (4.7 per 1000). RESULTS: The frequency and type of congenital heart defects have been identified together with the sex ratio, associated extracardiac anomalies, chromosomal anomalies and the risk of precurrence in relatives. The impact of prenatal diagnosis on prevalence was low during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: The study has provided epidemiological data for public health surveillance of congenital heart defects in the Emilia-Romagna region. The creation of a system for the nationwide recording of congenital heart defects designed with regard to the sources of ascertainment, the diagnostic criteria, and the system of classification is emphasised.

Female↗

766 cases of oral cleft in Italy. Data from Emilia Romagna (IMER) and northeast Italy (NEI) registers.

Epidemiological and genetic variables for oral clefts were analysed for the years 1981-1989 in a case-control study of congenital malformations in the Emilia Romagna, Veneto, and Friuli regions, and in the Trento and Bolzano hospitals. Birth prevalence for all cases of cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL(P)) was 8.2 per 10,000 births, and that for cleft palate only (CP) was 6.1 per 10,000. Coexisting abnormalities were found in 23% of CL(P) cases and in 43% of CP. No clusters in time or space were detected. For isolated clefts, a predominance of males among CL(P) and of females among CP was found; epilepsy was the only maternal risk factor correlated with clefts, and an association between clefting and consanguinity was found. Empirical recurrence risks were calculated in both isolated CL(P) and CP.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

[Standardization and stability of reagents for the titration of anti-tetanus antibodies by means of the passive hemagglutination technic].

The evaluation of the antitetanus immunity in human sera is of primary importance for the carrying out of an adequate prophylaxis and treatment of tetanus. Tetan Test is a diagnostic kit for the titration of the antitetanus antibodies, by means of the passive hemagglutination technique. Tetan Test is examined under the point of view of the preparation techniques and the process and final controls which warrant the quality and the standardization of the product itself. The stability of Tetan Test, after storage at the temperatures: 67 degrees C, 52 degrees C, 37 degrees C, 22 degrees C is evaluated. The excellent results obtained allow the use of the product also in hot climates, in developing countries, where the storage at the advised temperatures is not possible.

Antibodies↗

[Influence of age on blood glucose levels: percentile reference intervals determined on ambulatory patients].

Data of routine chemical and hematological laboratory tests regarding outpatients were collected in four different hospitals of the provinces of Ferrara, Rovigo and Bologna. Data of about 1500 subjects per hospital were cumulated without preliminary selection of patients; sex, age and pregnancy status were also recorded. At the end of the collection, the second (and third) record of the same patient was discarded; only those referring to the first examination were retained. In this report we consider only the values of the blood sugar level which were obtained by enzymatic methods. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were performed utilizing a CDC CYBER 70/76 computer. The means and the variances of the data collected at the four hospital laboratories were very similar (Tab 1). The interlaboratory analysis of variance was poorly significant. All frequency distributions were leptocurtic and skewed to the right (Fig. 1). The blood sugar level tend to increase with age (Tab. 2). This correlation is graphically depicted in a two-dimensional plot (Fig 2) in which the regression line and the 2, 5 and 97,5 percentile levels corrected for age were also reported. We think that this diagram may be more helpful to the clinicians interpreting laboratory results than the usual "normal values".

Adolescent↗

Complement fixation reaction in toxoplasmosis.

In toxoplasmosis serodiagnosis the complement fixation reaction (CF) is barely sensitive and specific and supplies results below the general standard levels of this technique. The reasons for this deficiency are discussed and detected in the preparation modalities of the toxoplasma antigens. Two diagnostic antigens are prepared and evaluated; the former, a suspension of whole toxoplasma (WT) the latter a total extract of toxoplasma (TET). The antigens are characterized by the preparative process, culture host and the extractive technique with a modified ultrasonic disintegrator. The antigens are used in the CF reaction, performed with the modified LBCF method, with a 100% hemolysis reading (H 100). The LBCF-H 100 reaction with WT and TET antigens is evaluated parellely to the indirect immunofluorescence reaction (IF) and dye test (DT) on 2514 human sera from cases os suspected toxoplasmosis and pregnant women. The analysis of the serological results pointed out that the LBCF-H 100 reaction performed with WT antigen, shows a sensitivity and specificity equivalent to that of the DT. The LBCF-H 100 reaction with TET antigen extends the range of the antibodies detectable with WT antigen. The optimal serological combination to identify the highest number of seropositive cases of toxplasma infection is given by LBCF-TET and IF reactions.

Complement Fixation Tests↗