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Biomedical subjects

G Banfi

Publications and source records attributed to G Banfi.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Comparison of immunofluorescent findings in kidney after snap-freezing and formalin fixation.

Two types of tissue preparation for immunofluorescent staining were compared with sections of the same kidney. In one, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded kidney sections were incubated with pronase (IF-PRON). The optimal pronase exposure for bright, specific IF and a mild background IF, suitable for the whole set of antisera was determined (pronase 0.75 g/l of Tris buffer for 60 min) and this was used for the subsequent steps of the study. Snap-frozen sections were also stained (IF-FROZ). Positive and negative cases, IF intensity, distribution and location in IgA nephropathy, membranous nephropathy, proliferative lupus nephritis were compared by the 2 methods. The main antigens for each disease were adequately revealed by IF-PRON, so that a correct diagnosis was possible in all cases. IF-PRON was also applied to sections before and after prolonged storage of blocks in the files, to see whether or not retrospective analysis is possible. Only minor differences were found between the 2 series of sections. Finally, the exposure of the sections to the continuous fluorescent light showed that IF fading was less in fixed sections. We conclude that IF-PRON is a reliable method for renal pathology with some advantages over the IF-FROZ.

Dose-Response Relationship, Drug↗
PubMed1988

A randomized trial comparing triple-drug and double-drug therapy in renal transplantation.

A controlled trial was carried out in 86 cadaveric and 14 living haploidentical renal transplant recipients to compare the effects of low doses of cyclosporine (CsA), azathioprine (Aza) and steroids with those of higher doses of CsA plus steroids. Patients were followed for 12-26 months after transplantation. The actuarial 2-year patient and graft survival rate was 100% for living-donor transplants. In cadaver renal transplants the 2-year patient survival rate was 100% for patients assigned to the triple regimen and 93% for those allocated to the double regimen. The actuarial 2-year cadaver graft survival rates were 86% and 90.6%, respectively. There were significantly more patients who had severe infections (P less than 0.05), particularly interstitial pneumonia (P less than 0.005), in the double-therapy group. On the other hand, there were more patients who rejected and more patients with severe rejections; more pulses of steroids were also required for patients on the triple regimen, although these differences were not significant. The mean trough blood levels of cyclosporine at the various times were about half as high in patients on triple therapy. There were no differences between the two groups in creatinine clearance at any time. A control renal biopsy, taken from patients with stable renal function after 6-12 months, showed only mild abnormalities. The lesions were semiquantitatively assessed. There was a higher score for interstitial infiltrate in patients on triple therapy (P less than 0.05). On the other hand, the incidence and the mean score of interstitial fibrosis were greater in patients on double therapy, although these differences were not significant. Thus, although similar results were obtained with both regimens, at the doses we used double therapy seems to have more powerful immunosuppressive effects and may prevent rejection, either acute or chronic, better. However, it might expose the patient to a greater risk of infection and of cyclosporine-related nephrotoxicity than triple therapy.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1988

Detection of cryoglobulins by Coulter Counter model S-Plus IV/D.

Cryoglobulins may produce interference in results from electronic particle counters. Depending on their size, cold-precipitable globulin crystals can be counted as leucocytes and/or platelets. The Coulter Counter model S-Plus IV/D permits detection of this interference and its associated spurious counts by producing a characteristic WBC histogram accompanied by a leucocyte 'flag'. Using this instrument over a 1-year period, 10 cases of cryoglobulinaemia were detected, four from patients with lymphoproliferative disease and one from a patient with autoimmune disease. The remaining five were classified as essential mixed cryoglobulinaemia. The reproducibility of this instrument anomaly permits identification of the presence of cryoglobulins.

Cryoglobulinemia↗
PubMed1988

EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopaenia: a 12-month epidemiological study.

The phenomenon of in vitro platelet clumping and consequent pseudothrombocytopaenia in the presence of EDTA has been studied in 33,623 subjects referring to a general hospital in a 1-year period. The observed frequency was 0.13%. EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopaenia (PTP) was suspected when a routine blood counting by the Coulter S-Plus IV/D showed a peculiar leucocyte histogram and pseudoleucocytosis. Confirmation was obtained by the manual count and by the finding of platelet aggregates in a stained blood smear. EDTA-dependent PTP was diagnosed when the platelet number and the morphological examination of blood anticoagulated with sodium citrate from the same patient were normal. EDTA-dependent PTP was found in 23 subjects aged from 19 to 79 years (0.068% of the study population): 17 were patients suffering from miscellaneous diseases, while six were apparently healthy. As a rule, platelet clumping was evident within 60 minutes from blood collection, but a longer latency (2-3 h) was observed in a few cases. EDTA-dependent PTP is a rare, but misleading phenomenon, the recognition of which is important in order to avoid expensive and potentially harmful procedures.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Light chain nephropathy: histological and clinical aspects in 15 cases.

Fifteen patients aged 31-74 years (five male, ten female) on renal biopsy showed intense linear deposits of light chains along tubular basement membranes (TBM) by immunofluorescence, and/or granular dense deposits on electronmicroscopy. Multiple myeloma was diagnosed in ten patients. The onset of myeloma and nephropathy was simultaneous in six patients; nephropathy preceded or followed the diagnosis of myeloma in three and one patients respectively. The mode of onset of nephropathy was acute or rapidly progressive renal failure in five cases, chronic renal failure in seven, and heavy proteinuria in three. Only two patients had normal renal function at biopsy. Serum monoclonal component was kappa in five patients, IgG kappa in three, IgD kappa in one, IgG lambda in one, IgA lambda in one, absent in three, and not detected in one. On light microscopy eight cases had nodular glomerulosclerosis, three cast nephropathy and 14 TBM thickening. Immunofluorescence for monoclonal light chain(s) was positive in 11 of 13 cases. Electron microscopy showed finely granular deposits in the inner side of glomerular basement membranes (GBM) and the outer side of TBM in 11 of 11 tested cases. The evolution was towards chronic renal failure in 12 patients (six of whom required dialysis), death in two, unknown in one. Four patients died after a period of dialysis, from infections or cardiovascular complications.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The coexistence of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

A 29-year-old white female with longstanding classical rheumatoid arthritis (RA) developed clinical and serological manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with prominent signs of diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis. She fulfilled the ARA criteria for the classification of SLE as well as the ARA criteria for classical RA. The concomitant presence of these two affections in the same patient is rare and the discriminating features suggest that this coexistence may be coincidental. With respect to treatment, our patient had good relief of symptoms by a combined administration of methylprednisolone pulses and cyclophosphamide.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Laboratory investigation of monoclonal gammopathy during 10 years of screening in a general hospital.

Protein electrophoresis was carried out on 102,000 samples from the patients of a district general hospital over 10 years, and a monoclonal protein was detected in 730 cases; of these, 114 could be classified as B cell malignancies and 261 as monoclonal gammopathy of undefined significance (MGUS). The various clinical and laboratory features of monoclonal gammopathy were examined with respect to distinguishing the malignant conditions from MGUS at first presentation.

Age Factors↗