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Biomedical subjects

G Dimitri

Publications and source records attributed to G Dimitri.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Local nasal immunotherapy with extract in powder form is effective and safe in grass pollen rhinitis: a double-blind study.

BACKGROUND: Local nasal immunotherapy has been studied, by means of an extract in powder form, in patients with allergic rhinitis caused by grass pollen. METHODS: Thirty-two patients allergic to grass were studied for 37 weeks in a double-blind controlled trial. Subjects were selected on the basis of a positive history, skin test result, RAST finding, and result of intranasal challenge to grass pollen. Two 16-patient groups were randomly assigned to active or placebo treatment. The treatment lasted 26 weeks (14 for the build-up phase, 12 for the maintenance period). RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in nasal symptoms during the treatment. During the pollen season the mean weekly symptom and medication scores were significantly lower in the treated group, compared with the control group, even considering each allergic symptom separately. Moreover, only in the treated group was a significant increase of specific nasal threshold to grass pollen observed after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that local nasal immunotherapy with allergen in powder form can be a suitable alternative to the traditional subcutaneous immunotherapy in terms of clinical efficacy and safety in grass-allergic rhinitis.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1995

Local nasal immunotherapy for birch allergic rhinitis with extract in powder form.

BACKGROUND: Traditional subcutaneous immunotherapy has been proved effective in birch pollenosis. It has, however, some drawbacks as systemic reactions, which are rare but important. Local nasal immunotherapy (LNIT) represents a potential safer route of allergen administration. OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical efficacy and safety of local nasal immunotherapy by means of an extract in powder form as treatment of birch allergic rhinitis. METHODS: Thirty birch allergic patients have been selected on the basis of a positive history, skin test, radioallergosorbent test assay (RAST) and specific nasal challenge. Two 15 patient groups were randomly assigned to the active treatment or to the placebo one. Treatment lasted 22 weeks (14 for the build-up phase and eight for maintenance period) and symptoms were recorded during the treatment and the birch pollen season. RESULTS: The clinical efficacy of LNIT is suggested by a significant reduction of medication score only in the treated group during the pollen season, although the symptom score was significantly lower in the treated group for 1 week only. Moreover, a significant increase of specific nasal threshold dose was observed after treatment only in the active treated group. Mild adverse reaction to LNIT, limited to the upper respiratory tract, were reported during the treatment in the active group, but they did not interfere with LNIT schedule. No asthmatic or systemic reaction were observed. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that LNIT with allergen in powder form has proven clinically effective in the treatment of birch allergic rhinitis. Further studies are needed to establish whether this treatment can be considered a real alternative to the traditional subcutaneous immunotherapy in birch allergic rhinitis.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1993

Manual ELISA assays on tPA and PAI-1 automated on Novapath I.S. preliminary report.

Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) have been pointed out as markers for deep venal thrombosis, acute myocardial infarction and several thrombotic disorders. This paper reports automation on Novapath I.S. analyzer (BioRad, Segrate Milano) of two manual Elisa procedures on microtritation plates for tPA and PAI-1; Tint Elize tPA and Tint Elize PAI-1 respectively (Biopool Atlanta, Georgia--for Italy Menarini diagnostics, Florence). Automation vs manual procedure allows: 1) higher safety for the operator, 2) better linearity of the standard curve, 3) better analytical precision: 6.8% and 5.3% CV on automation vs 19.8% and 15.7% CV for tPA and PAI-1 respectively, 4) simultaneous assays of tPA and PAI-1, which save time up to 10 hours (6 vs 16 hours), 5) a steady interval between every analytical step, particularly between the interchange of substrate and blocking solution. Accuracy of these procedures must of course be further evaluated.

Autoanalysis↗
PubMed1993

Lipoprotein(a) concentrations are increased in patients with myocardial infarction and angiographically normal coronary arteries.

It is generally accepted that Lp(a) is an independent risk factor of cardiovascular diseases. Since the apolipoprotein component of Lp(a) shows some homologies to plasminogen, it is, however, unclear as to whether the pathological effect is due to the role played by the lipoprotein in lipid metabolism or in the fibrinolytic system. We compared two groups of patients with myocardial infarction, with and without angiographically documented coronary artery disease. In the latter group, imbalances in the clotting system are very likely, while members of the former group may also display disturbances of lipid metabolism. The results show that the two groups display differences in lipid metabolism, whereas they have similar patterns of thrombogenicity indices and Lp(a) values. This study seems to support the hypothesis that Lp(a) does play a role in the fibrinolytic system, since even those myocardial infarctions without obstructive coronary artery disease have a high frequency of Lp(a) concentrations above 300 mg/l, i.e. similar to the situation found in the myocardial infarctions with angiographically documented coronary artery disease. Whether the high Lp(a) concentrations in the two groups are related to an impaired fibrinolysis will be the subject of further investigation.

Apolipoprotein A-I↗
PubMed1992

Serum low density lipoprotein separation: a simple procedure.

Reference methods for serum low density lipoprotein (LDL) separation are time-consuming and the salts used in density-gradient ultracentrifugation may cause chemical and/or immunological changes in the lipoprotein structure. A method has been developed to provide native LDL suitable for chemical and immunochemical studies. The three step procedure involves firstly the separation of very low density lipoproteins by non-density adjusted ultracentrifugation, secondly the separation of low from high density lipoproteins by LDL precipitation with PEG-6000, and finally the re-dissolution of the pellet in NaCl 150 mmol/l. The effectiveness of LDL separation, as well as the preservation of the electrophoretic mobility of the LDL molecules, was verified by electrophoresis in agarose gel, and the maintenance of the immunochemical reactivity of apolipoprotein B was verified by an immunochemical assay.

Fractional Precipitation↗
PubMed1991

Isoamylase determination by isoelectric focusing in pancreatic disorders. A potential clinical aid.

Isoamylase analysis by isoelectric focusing was performed in the serum of 30 healthy volunteers, 65 patients with acute or chronic pancreatic diseases, nine with acute abdomen, four with macroamylasemia, and four with duodenal duplication. In controls, up to four fractions (2 salivary, 2 pancreatic) were found; the pancreatic fractions were as a mean 44.7% (SD 8.6) of total. In chronic pancreatitis, only patients with steatorrhea showed a significant reduction of pancreatic isoamylase (p less than 0.001). In all patients with acute pancreatitis or pseudocysts, an additional fraction (similar to the so-called P3 fraction) was resolved. Moreover, additional isoenzymes were found in all patients with severe acute pancreatitis or pseudocysts, and not in controls or patients with mild forms, acute abdomen or duodenal duplication. A similar pattern was shown in a stored control serum after 10 mo at -20 degrees C. These fractions disappeared after successful surgical drainage. No specific alteration was found in pancreatic cancer. Amylase fractionation by isoelectric focusing can be used to confirm an acute pancreatitis, and to monitor patients with pancreatic pseudocysts and collections after surgical drainage.

Acute Disease↗