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G Giovannini

Publications and source records attributed to G Giovannini.

50 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Raised level of amniotic endothelin in pregnancies with fetal aneuploidy.

Amniotic fluid endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels were measured in 38 euploid and in 15 aneuploid pregnancies in the 17th gestational week. Varying distribution of the peptide levels was found in the two groups, with higher values in the pathological cases. Should this finding be confirmed in maternal blood, ET-1 could represent a further analyte to be used in prenatal screening for aneuploidy.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Estrogen and progesterone measurement and its quality control in breast cancer: a reappraisal.

This article illustrates the two main methods for routine measurement of cytoplasmic estrogen receptor status in neoplastic biopsy. The first is the Dextran Coated Charcoal Technique (D.C.C. Assay) which is still the method of choice in the majority of clinical laboratories for its simplicity, reproducibility and low cost. The second is a more advanced technique based on the specific binding, enzymatically displayed, of commercially available antiestrogen monoclonal antibodies (Enzyme Immuno Assay - ABBOTT). The sui generis characteristics of endocrine sensitivity assessment on tumor tissues and the importance of decision-making connected with the assay justify rigorous quality assurance schemes. The quality control design proposed by the Italian Committee concerned the evaluation of several lyophilized preparations with scalar receptor content; this permits the identification through linear regression analysis of systematic and non-systematic errors. The Italian Committee has currently connected 50 labs from most regions of the country.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship between cytosol TPS, TPA and cell proliferation.

The serological tumor marker tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) and the more recently identified tissue-specific polypeptide antigen (TPS) have been reported to be indicators of the proliferation rate of the tumor. In the present investigation we compared the cytosol level of the two markers with the proliferative activity of the tumor measured using the 3H-thymidine labelling index. The preliminary results presented here show that higher TLI is associated with lower cytosol levels of both TPA and TPS. TPA and TPS in the cytosol were significantly associated. These findings are in agreement with the previously demonstrated association between high TPA cytosol levels and better prognosis in breast cancer. Further studies are ongoing in order to: 1. confirm these findings in a larger patient series; 2. investigate any possible prognostic indication provided by TPS; 3. evaluate any possible biological meaning of the negative association between TPA/TPS and TLI in the cytosol of breast cancer.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunometric assays of ras and c-erbB-2/neu overexpression in breast cancer: a pilot study.

The expression of the ras and c-erbB2 oncoproteins (p21 and p185, respectively), together with estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) determination, has been retrospectively analyzed in 68 primary breast carcinomas and in 19 normal breast tissue samples. The aims of this study were: a) to explore the association between ras and c-erbB2 expression; b) to evaluate the relationship between ras and c-erbB2 expression and both steroid receptor status and the classical clinical and pathological parameters; and c) to compare two different methods for p185 determination. p185 and p21 were measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA); p185 was also determined by Western blotting (WB); ER and PgR were assayed by radioligand binding assay. The highest value of p185 in benign breast lesions was used as the threshold to distinguish between positive and negative samples. With this threshold the c-erbB2 oncoprotein was overexpressed in 41.2% (with EIA) and in 50% (with WB) of cancer samples. The concordance rate between the two methods was 79.4. No significant association was found between p21 and p185 levels either in cancer or in normal breast tissue samples. Increasing levels of tumor p21 were associated with a shorter time to recurrence and overall survival. Increasing levels of p185 were associated with a significantly shorter time to recurrence (p185 EIA: p = 0.04, p185 WB: p = 0.029) and overall survival (p185 EIA: p = 0.04, p185 WB: p = 0.029).

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Prevalence and determinants of low back pain in hospital workers].

This study evaluated the prevalence and determinants of low back pain (LBP) in Terni hospital workers. Each ward sister completed a questionnaire about potential determinants of LBP associated with physical loads. Moreover, a trained ward sister administered a questionnaire about the characteristics of low back pain to 512 subjects. In the previous year the prevalence of LBP was 58.8%. It was more common in subjects under 45 years of age. >3 LBP episodes annually were more frequent in operating rooms and medical wards. LBP lasted >1 week in 29% of females and in 23% of males. LBP caused change of duties or time off work in 11% of females and in 8% of males.

Adult↗