Biomedical subjects

G Parrinello

Publications and source records attributed to G Parrinello.

82 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

[Use of regression analysis in the study of the association between different mercury exposure routes and some functional variables].

AIMS: The "Mercury Multicentric Project" data-set was analysed with the aim to identify a group of biological variables associated with different types of Hg exposure (occupational exposure, fish dietary intake, exposure due to amalgam restorations). The distribution of socio-demographic, biological and surrogate outcome variables was rather different among the collaborating Units. METHODS: Mixed linear models (MLM) were used to overcome the problems related to the heterogeneity of variances among Units. MLM are a generalization of the standard linear models, the generalization being that the data are permitted to exhibit correlation and non constant variability. MLM therefore provide with the flexibility of modelling not only the means of the dependent variable, but also their variances and co-variances as well. This allows to represent the total variability of the dependent variable as a sum of two components: the first attributable to the Units and the other one to the random error. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A set of biological variables significantly associated with at least one of the Hg exposure variables or with the HgU/creatinine ratio (as surrogate variable for Hg exposure) was identified by means of MLM. This set includes beta 2-MG, sIL8, CD4+, sPRL, FT dominant, BAMT, and some variables related to neurological behaviour. An extension of this analysis will be performed with a structural equations approach in order to study the dose-response relationships among the various variables according to a hierarchical path defined on biological basis. One of the possible simplified general models including all the selected variables is described.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Exposure to neurotoxic metals and prevalence of parkinsonian syndrome in the area of Brescia].

The prevalence of parkinsonian syndromes was studied in the province of Brescia (Northern Italy), in order to verify its possible increase in the surroundings of ferroalloy plants located in a valley of the pre-Alps. A case-list of subjects affected by these disturbances was identified using four different sources of information: a) registers from local medical clinics; b) admission charts from local hospitals; c) consumption of levodopa; d) NHS list of exemption from prescription payment, due to the illness. Exploratory data show a frequency of parkinsonian disturbances among the residents in the surroundings of the ferroalloy plants and downwind (crude prevalence = 358/100,000 population, standardized for age and sex = 438) significantly higher (s.m.r, = 1.58; C.I. = 1.41-1.76) than the entire Province (crude prevalence 246/100,000). This preliminary result could indicate the interaction of prolonged environmental exposure to heavy metals, such as manganese, and genetic factors, potentially relevant in this mountain population.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Intravenous cyclophosphamide therapy for systemic sclerosis. A single-center experience and review of the literature with pooled analysis of lung function test results.

OBJECTIVE: Oral cyclophosphamide (CYC) is a promising therapy for Systemic Sclerosis (SSc)-related interstitial lung disease (ILD). The use of intravenous (i.v.) pulses has been considered as an alternative route of drug administration, possibly associated with reduced toxicity. Our objectives were to re-evaluate our experience with i.v. CYC, to review the literature, and to pool our results with those available from other groups, improving the statistical power of the analysis. METHODS: 1) Retrospective analysis of our center experience on 16 patients with SSc and active alveolitis, treated with i.v. CYC 750 mg + 6-methylprednisolone 125 mg every 3 weeks. 2) Pooled analysis of papers published in peer-reviewed journals reporting detailed data on each patient treated with i.v. CYC. The end-point was modification in the results of lung function tests (LFT) after 6 months. Piecewise regression analysis was performed using a linear mixed-effects model adjusted for baseline values to evaluate the changes in LFT. RESULTS: Retrospective analysis. In the period before therapy there was a significant deterioration in FVC (in 6 months: -4.3%; p=0.0009) and DLCO (-2.1%; p=0.018). After 6 months of treatment there was a modest improvement in the FVC (+2.7% p=0.08) and DLCO (+2.2%; p=0.08). Pooled analysis. In 53 evaluable patients, the improvement in LFT reached conventional statistical significance (FVC: +2.85%; 95% confidence intervals: +0.04, +5.66%; p=0.04. DLCO: +4.4%; 95% confidence intervals: +1.2%, +7.5%; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: i.v. CYC for 6 months can achieve a small, but significant improvement of LFT in patients with SSc and active alveolitis.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The level of soluble Granzyme A is elevated in the plasma and in the Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T cell culture supernatants of patients with active Behçet's disease.

OBJECTIVE: Gramzyme A (GrA) is a serine proteinase with trypsin-like activity that is released extracellularly during the degranulation of cytotoxic cells. Among the cytotoxic cells, gamma/delta T cells participate in the early phases of the immune response and are known to express perforin and granzymes constitutively in agreement with their cytolytic pontential. METHODS: GrA activity was detected using the synthetic substrate N-alpha-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine thiobenzyl ester in the plasma and supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultured in the presence of Dimethylallyl pyrophosphate to obtain Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T cell expansion. RESULTS: Significantly high levels of GrA were found in the serum and supernatants of lymphocytes from patients with active Behçet's disease cultured in the presence of DMAPP. Levels were found to be significantly lower after remission. A positive correlation was observed between GrA levels in the supernatants and the Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T cell expansion factor. CONCLUSION: These results strongly suggest that Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T cells are active participants in the pathogenesis of the disease through their degranulation and granzyme release.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Clinical and hemodynamic effects of medium-term treatment with ketanserin of 2 comparative groups of obese and non-obese hypertensive patients].

We evaluated systemic and central hemodynamics in 10 lean hypertensives and in 10 obese hypertensives (WHO stage I-II) after 8 weeks treatment regimen with a serotoninergic antagonist such as ketanserin. At the beginning and the end of the study, body weight, BMI, blood pressure and heart rate were measured and a first pass radionuclide angiocardiography was performed to determine cardiac output, cardiac index and ejection fraction of left ventricle. Total peripheral resistances were also calculated. In both hypertensive groups ketanserin significantly reduced diastolic (p less than 0,05) and mean (p less than 0.005) blood pressure. No significant change in systolic blood pressure, cardiac output, cardiac index and ejection fraction was observed in lean or obese hypertensives. Total peripheral resistance values significantly (p less than 0,05) decreased in lean hypertensives; in obese hypertensives total peripheral resistance was moderately reduced. Our results indicate that monotherapy with ketanserin is effective in treating mild to moderate hypertension in both lean and obese hypertensives and does not interfere with left ventricular performance. In conclusion the effectiveness of ketanserin treatment appears moderately higher in lean than in obese hypertensives.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Effect of sumatriptan on facial temperature variations, blood pressure and electrocardiogram in healthy subjects and patients with migraine without aura].

40 patients were evaluated for skin temperature changes from baseline measurements and after 6 mg subcutaneous sumatriptan administration. During examination, skin temperature were recorded on a color picture at 10', 20', 30', 60', 90' and 120 minutes after sumatriptan administration. At the some time, heart rate (HR), systolic (SBP), diastolic (BDP) blood pressure and ECG-monitoring were automatically recorded. The patients were subgrouped as follow: 20 non migrainous control subjects (6 males and 14 females) aged 19 to 55 years (mean age 39.5 +/- 15.4); 20 headache free migrainous patients (6 males and 14 females) aged 25 to 46 years (mean age 37.8 +/- 8.4). Our data demonstrate a significant reduction in skin temperature (face) in all patients studied. 10 minutes after sumatriptan administration a significant increase (p > 0.001) both in SBP and BDP was observed. This findings suggest that sumatriptan show a vasoconstrictor effect as demonstrate by reduction in face temperature both in nonmigrainous and in migrainous patients. The unchange in HR and ECG and the transient increase in blood pressure, not associated with clinical symptoms, suggest that this drug may be used in migrainous patients.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

Obesity and overweight have great clinical and social significance and are associated with a number of medical and surgical complications. We attempt here to summarize current knowledge on the subject and describe the research we are presently carrying out in this field. After a brief introduction, definition, and discussion of etiopathogenesis, the indexes of ponderal excess and epidemiology are illustrated. The cardiovascular adjustments and the relationships between obesity and hypertension, ischemic heart disease and congestive heart failure are then treated. One aim of our investigation was to study the modifications of an entire set of biological and clinical parameters which could concretely formulate and/or identify some pathophysiological links between obesity and heart disease. We thus studied obese subjects with hypertension, diabetes and multiple cardiovascular risk factors. We also studied a group of asymptomatic obese subjects, whom we define as "the healthy obese". Our results, supported by the medical literature, led to the conclusion that obesity is an important and/or independent cardiovascular risk factor. We think, however, that it would be prudent to await for the results of interventional trials and follow-up studies involving a large number of young, healthy obese subjects in order to monitor the most important biological variables over the long term.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of pulmonary perfusion following an acute heroin overdose in dogs.

This research was designed to analyze the effects of heroin overdose on pulmonary perfusion in dogs. In view of this pulmonary perfusion by radionuclide method, arterial blood pressure by the femoral artery, mean right ventricular pressure and pulmonary wedge pressure by Swang-Ganz catheter were detected in 7 medium sized healthy dogs. In addition PaO2, SaO2, PaCO2 and blood pH were also determined by current methods. All the dogs received an acute bolus of purified heroin at dosage of 12.5 mg/Kg. All the measurements were made at baseline and at 30 seconds, 10 minutes, 20 minutes and 30 minutes after heroin administration. Our data indicated an impaired pulmonary perfusion by the analysis of the slope and the area under the time/activity curve following heroin overdose. In addition a significant reduction (p < 0.001) in blood pressure and a significant rise (p < 0.01) in mean right ventricular pressure and in pulmonary wedge pressure were observed after 30 seconds by heroin overdose. Moreover heroin administration promoted a significant increase (p < 0.001) in PaCO2 and a significant decrease (p < 0.001) in both PaO2 and SaO2. These results indicated that early pulmonary perfusion abnormalities may be recognized in dogs receiving an acute heroin overdose and they were associated with impaired gas-exchange. These changes in respiratory function could represent and important mechanism of clinical manifestations following heroin overdose.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Muscle surface mechanical and electrical activities in myotonic dystrophy.

The dimensional changes of the muscle fibres of the active motor units generate a signal, labelled as mechanomyogram (MMG), related to the number and firing rate of the active fibres. Aim of the study was to evaluate if the root mean square (RMS) of the surface EMG, of the MMG and their relationship (electromechanical coupling efficiency, EMCE) are related to the clinical stage of patients affected by myotonic dystrophy. The EMG and the MMG were recorded during isometric contractions at 20%, 40% and 60% of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), in less (elbow flexors, EF) and more (finger flexors, FF) affected muscles in 10 myotonic dystrophy (DM) patients (duration of disease: 15-22 yr.; MDRS scale: 3-4) and in 10 age matched controls (C). It resulted that I) the MVC was only 30% lower in DM than in C (P > 0.05) for the EF but 74% lower (P < 0.001) for the FF; II) at the same relative force the MMG-RMS and the EMG-RMS in DM were significantly lower than in C (P < 0.05); III) the EMCE was almost the same in DM and C for EF but dramatically lower for FF. In conclusion these findings provide evidence that the EMCE changes due to the dystrophic process can be monitored by this new and non invasive technique. A good concurrence of clinical findings and experimental results was observed.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prevalence of obesity and ischaemic heart disease in hypertensive subjects.

In the present study the prevalence of obesity and its association with ischemic heart disease, recognized according to clinical criteria (chest pain or previous infarction) and/or instrumental data, were described in 8,847 normotensive subjects and in 867 hypertensive subjects, hospitalized during a ten years period (1983-1992), through a cross-sectional study. In view of this all the subjects were considered as lean or obese according to their body mass index (BMI) and to sex specific cut-off values reported in the Italian Consensus Conference on Obesity. In particular, according to BMI values, the subjects were grouped as lean, overweight, moderate and severe obese subjects. Our results indicated that 3,982 normotensive subjects (45%) could be considered lean, whereas 2,654 of them (30%) were overweight, 1,769 of them (20%) were moderate obese and 442 of them (5%) were severe obese. On the contrary only 206 hypertensives (23.7%) might be considered lean, whereas 313 (36.1%) were overweight, 302 (34.8%) were moderate obese and 46 (5.3%) were severe obese. According to age subgrouping (lower than or equal to 65 years or higher than 65 years) the distribution of hypertensives within the lean, overweight, moderate and severe obese groups did not change significantly, but, according to sex subgrouping, the distribution of hypertensives within the BMI groups was significantly different (chi 2, p < 0.001). When we considered the degree of hypertension, distribution of hypertensives was significantly different according to c2 test (p < 0.004), suggesting that the percentage of the subjects with severe hypertension increased only in subjects with severe obesity. Concomitant ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was also documented in 350 normotensives (4%) and in 119 hypertensives (13.8%). The prevalence of IHD was not significantly different in lean, overweight, moderate and severe obese hypertensives, also when sex and smoking habits were considered. Our data indicated a strong association between obesity and hypertension. In addition they may be consistent with the suggestion that obese hypertensives were not characterized by a lower risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD), than lean hypertensives.

Adult↗