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Biomedical subjects

G Ciuffetti

Publications and source records attributed to G Ciuffetti.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Peripheral vascular disease: role of leucocyte rheology and activation during controlled ischemia.

Leucocytes have been implicated in the development of tissue ischaemia. No studies on leucocyte rheology and activation in the earliest stages of controlled ischaemia in Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) exist. Blood samples were taken from 15 PVD patients and 15 matched controls before and after treadmill exercise (5 mins/2 km/hr/12% slope). Leucocytes were separated by density and adherence into their granulocyte, lymphocyte and monocyte sub-populations and their filterability rates through 5 micron diameter pore filters were measured. Leucocyte activation as observed under a light microscopy was monitored. Compared to controls, calf pain in the PVD patients was associated with a significant (p less than 0.001) increase (+22%) in monocyte filterability but not in leucocyte activation.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases↗
PubMed1989

Non-invasive cardiovascular monitoring in Shy-Drager syndrome.

The pattern of arterial blood pressure and heart rate were investigated in a patient with progressive autonomic dysfunction and nineteen healthy age-matched controls. A marked postprandial reduction of blood pressure was observed in the patient; this phenomenon was not noted in the control group; besides, the rhythmicity of blood pressure and heart rate were altered with peak values shifted approximately eight hours later with respect to the controls.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Evolutionary trends in carotid atherosclerotic plaques: results of a two-year follow-up study using an ultrasound imaging system.

A two-year follow-up on 118 atherosclerotic lesions of the extracranial carotid tract observed in 70 patients was carried out using real-time high-resolution echotomography. The following plaque characteristics were monitored: the echogenic patterns (soft, intermediate, hard, and mixed), the surface aspects, and the degree of stenosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate plaque evolution, in relation both to the degree of vessel stenosis produced and to the echostructural characteristics of the lesion. After two years 68% of the lesions remained unchanged while the degree of vessel stenosis increased in 32%; no case of regression was observed. Intrinsic factors appearing to condition an increase in degree of stenosis were "mixed" and "hard" echogenic pattern, an irregular lesion surface, and an initial degree of stenosis of more than 50%. A modification in the echogenic pattern, which generally tended to progress toward more highly reflecting echogenic levels was observed in 27% of the lesions studied.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Hemorheologic factors in the postacute phase of ischemic stroke.

Clinical and hemorheologic data were recorded in a homogeneous group of 72 patients (age range sixty-one to seventy years), suffering from ischemic stroke with an onset of less than eight hours, confirmed clinically and by computerized tomography. A quantitative neurologic analysis and the following hemorheologic parameters were monitored for twenty weeks following the acute episode: fibrinogen, total proteins, albumin, hematocrit, leukocyte and platelet counts, whole blood filterability (WBF), red blood cell deformability (RBCD), and blood plasma, and serum viscosity. The results show a significant decrease in hematocrit values parallel to the clinical neurologic improvement and a significant increase in RBCD in the patients with the better clinical recovery. These data confirm the role of hemorheologic parameters in the clinical follow-up of cerebrovascular disorders.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1988

Extracranial carotid atherosclerosis evaluation and stroke occurrence: role of the echotomographic analysis.

High-resolution real-time echotomography was used in a longitudinal study on 118 atherosclerotic plaques of the extracranial carotid tract with the aim of identifying those most likely to cause a cerebrovascular event. Seventy patients (average age 61 +/- 7 years), referred to our Clinical Vascular Laboratory because suffering from transient cerebral ischemic attacks (TIA), coronary heart disease (CHD, peripheral artery disease (PAD), or cervical bruits (CB), were followed up for two years. Medical treatment remained that of the referring physician. Ten patients suffered from clinical events caused by stroke, TIA, and/or carotid occlusion during the follow-up. The echostructural profile of the lesions most often correlated with the clinical event was characterized by a mixed or hard echogenic pattern, and irregular surface, and an initial vascular stenosis of more than 50%.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Long term-effect of fenofibrate on lipoprotein level and composition in different types of genetic hyperlipidemias.

Fenofibrate effect on plasma lipids and lipoproteins was studied in 23 patients with primary hyperlipoproteinemias (HLP): 12 with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), 5 with combined HLP and 6 with Type III HLP. Trial lasted from 8 to 10 months. Cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly reduced in all patients as follows: cholesterol dropped 26% in FH (p less than 0.001), 32% in combined HLP and 48% in type III HLP; triglycerides dropped 29%, 64% and 72% respectively. This drop involved LDL in FH, VLDL and LDL in combined HLP and beta-VLDL in type III HLP patients. In FH and combined HLP patients we observed a +10% (p less than 0.01) and a +9% (n.s.) increase of HDL, respectively. Two patients had a mild SGOT and SGPT increase and three had a vescicular cutaneous erythema.

Cholesterol↗
PubMed1986

Chronic cerebrovascular disorders: hemorheological and psychobehavioral aspects.

In order to evaluate the existence of a correlation between the hemorheological and the psychobehavioral pattern in chronic cerebrovascular disorder (CCVD) patients, 54 elderly CCVD patients were enrolled in the study. After a thorough clinical and instrumental examination they underwent a hemorheological and psychobehavioral assessment. The results showed a clear correlation between the severity of the psychobehavioral disorder and the hemorheological alterations, particularly with regard to the cellular factors. A hypothesis to explain these findings and future research trends are also discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Haemorheological markers in 89 patients with stage II peripheral vascular disease (PVD).

Although it is universally accepted that the grade of reduction of district blood flow in PVD is directly correlated to alteration of the haemorheological pattern, there is still no uniformity of opinion regarding the existence of a specific rheological alteration in PVD. The scope of our study was to discover the existence of possible PVD-specific markers; we thus carried out a comparative evaluation of the rheological characteristics in blood of controls and patients affected with PVD. Eighty-nine males between the ages of 50 and 65 years (median 58 +/- 1 SE) were studied, all with a stage II vascular pathology with clinical onset of less than three months. Exclusion criteria were: diabetes mellitus, hyperlipaemia, stable hypertension, presence of vascular disease in other districts, cardio-circulatory problems and serious medical or surgical pathologies, previous vascular surgery, a history of acute thrombo-embolic episodes, and chronic alcoholism. Each patient, after a drug wash-out of 20 days, was monitored for haemorheological parameters. At the same time, the above parameters were measured in a group of 50 male controls of the same age range. All 139 subjects were smokers (10-15 cigarettes average per day). Our results indicate that modification in the bio-humoral (fibrinogen and plasma globulins) parameters, a reduced red blood cell filterability and a relative increase in the number of activated polymorphonucleate cells are probably specific haemorheological markers of the clinical onset of PVD.

Blood Cell Count↗
PubMed1986

The role of haemorheological factors in the ageing brain: long-term therapy with pentoxifylline ('Trental' 400) in elderly patients with initial mental deterioration.

Sixty elderly patients suffering from initial mental deterioration (less than 6 months) were divided at random into two groups, homogeneous for age, sex and life habits. For 28 weeks Group I was given a placebo and Group II was given 400 mg pentoxifylline ('Trental' 400) 3-times daily for two 3-month periods interrupted by a 4-week wash-out period. Neuropsychological performance and haemorheological parameters were evaluated at the beginning and at the end of each phase of the study. The results showed that pentoxifylline medication significantly improved the psycho-intellectual performance, decreased whole blood viscosity and increased red cell filterability. The results indicate a need to concentrate further study on haemorheological factors in the clinical aspects of the ageing brain, also with a view to allowing for sufficiently long treatment periods.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Memory impairment in the elderly: a three-year follow-up.

A 3-yr follow-up study on the trend of memory performance in 9 elderly subjects with selective memory defects, which was carried out in an attempt to clarify the evolution of the disorder, revealed marked worsening of sensory visual memory, retention capacity and recent memory. No other mental function was compromised. The results of this study suggest that the onset of a selective memory defect in the elderly is not necessarily the expression of a demential amnestic syndrome, but rather the manifestation of a senile brain deterioration limited to the anatomo-functional memory system.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Haemorheological pattern in initial mental deterioration: results of a long-term study using piracetam and pentoxifylline.

A group of 80 elderly subjects affected with recent onset (less than 6 mth) slight to moderate mental deterioration was observed before and after oral drug treatment for a period of 28 wk. The study consisted of four randomized groups of subjects homogeneous for age, sex and life habits. The first group received a placebo, the second group received piracetam (1600 mg 3 times a day), the third group received pentoxifylline (400 mg 3 times a day), and the fourth group received a combination of piracetam and pentoxifylline. At the beginning and end of each phase of the study, neuropsychological and haemorheological parameters were evaluated in all subjects. The results show that the most evident improvement in psycho-intellectual performance, associated with an increase of whole blood filtration values, was obtained in the group treated with the two-drug combination.

Aged↗