Biomedical subjects

G Posteraro

Publications and source records attributed to G Posteraro.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

What do young people think about the dangers of sunbathing, skin cancer and sunbeds? A questionnaire survey among Italians.

Previous experience in Australia and Sweden showed that public education programs produced substantial changes in people's opinions, attitudes and perceptions about melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancer, sunlight, sunbeds and suntanning. In order to organize effective prevention campaigns, more must be known about the sunbathing habits of children and adolescents. The aim of our study was to assess the knowledge that young people in a southern European country have about sun exposure. A total of 764 young people ranging from 16 to 22 years old (mean age: 19.3+/-1.2 years) responded to a questionnaire. Our study indicates that young people are very aware of the risks associated with sunbathing but that they continue to expose themselves without taking precautions. This suggests that: a) the majority of young Italians are reasonably well-informed but they do not take preventative measures; b) one effective measure could be promotion of the idea that an untanned body is more esthetically pleasing than a tanned one; c) a crucial point in the programming of future safety measures in suntan centers involves rigorous and regular controls.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

The acute effect of smoking on cutaneous microcirculation blood flow in habitual smokers and nonsmokers.

BACKGROUND: Smoking is known to be a primary cause of chronic harmful effects on the vascular system. It also induces some acute effects on the coronary circulation and on the ophthalmic artery. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to assess the effect of smoking a single cigarette on cutaneous blood flow in habitual smokers as well as in nonsmokers. METHODS: A laser Doppler flowmeter was used to perform measurements of cutaneous microcirculation. Flowmetric data were recorded (i) before smoking, (ii) inhaling from an unlighted cigarette, (iii) during cigarette smoking, (iv) 2 and (v) 5 min after smoking. RESULTS: We could show that smoking a single cigarette acts on the cutaneous microcirculation reducing blood flow in both groups of subjects (38.1% reduction in smokers and 28.1% reduction in nonsmokers; p <0.01). Interestingly, the recovery phase is faster in nonsmoker subjects than in smoker ones; in fact, the recovery is complete 2 and 5 min after cigarette smoking in nonsmokers and in smokers, respectively. CONCLUSION: Smoking a single cigarette decreases the cutaneous blood flow in habitual smoker as well as in nonsmoker subjects. Moreover, the slower recovery phase of smokers suggests that their microcirculation become inured to smoke.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Thirty hours' evaluation of UVB-induced erythema by chromometry and microflowmetry.

BACKGROUND: Individual UVB photosensitivity is usually investigated by determining the minimal erythemal dose (MED). Nevertheless, factors such as room light intensity and subjective experience of the observer can influence the erythema perception and, therefore, the MED assessment. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between the clinical and the chromometric and microflowmetric analyses of the UVB-induced erythema in 2 healthy volunteers. METHODS: A bank of 6 fluorescent mercury vapor tubes (Philips TL 12/20 W) was utilized as a source of UVB light. Three skin areas (4 cm2), from the dorsal region of each subject, were irradiated with 3 different UVB doses corresponding to: (1) MED; (2) 0.7 MED, and (3) 1.3 MED. RESULTS: (1) both microflowmetric and chromometric parameters reached a maximum peak 10-12 h after irradiation and maintained high values also 30 h after irradiation; (2) both microflowmetric and chromometric values were directly related to the UVB doses; (3) in some cases the microflowmetric values started to increase when the chromatic changes were still undetectable. CONCLUSION: These preliminary data confirm that the visual determination of MED performed 24 h after irradiation is a correct procedure. Nevertheless, the microflowmetric may precede the chromatic changes suggesting that vasodilatation follows irradiation without a latent period.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

In vitro photoinhibition by psoralen and ultraviolet A radiation of human hematopoietic progenitors.

The in vitro sensitivity of human hematopoietic progenitors to PUVA, 8-MOP and UVA alone was investigated. 8-MOP alone at final concentrations of 150, 200, 600 and 1,000 ng/ml did not modify colony growth of circulating and bone marrow erythroid (BFU-E), myeloid (CFU-GM) and immature (CFU-GEMM) hematopoietic progenitors obtained from normal controls. The exposure of the same progenitors to increasing doses of UVA, up to 12 J/cm2, progressively decreased hematopoietic colony growth (with estimated 50% inhibition occurring at about 5 J/cm2). In vitro PUVA treatment (8-MOP 200 ng/ml followed by UVA 5 J/cm2) caused 90% growth inhibition of circulating and bone marrow hematopoietic progenitors. In addition, the treatment completely inhibited the formation of spontaneous erythroid colonies, obtained from 5 polycythemic patients, that are considered to be a marker of this neoplastic disease. PUVA cytotoxicity was assessed by the colorimetric MTT assay. The percentage of cell death after PUVA exposure was 29 +/- 10% for both peripheral and bone marrow mononuclear cells. Our findings indicate that 8-MOP alone is not toxic to hematopoietic progenitors whereas UVA treatment determines in vitro a dose-dependent inhibition of the clonogenic capacity of normal hematopoietic cells. PUVA treatment enhances this effect, causing a quite complete inhibition of hematopoietic progenitors colony formation from normal donors and spontaneous BFU-E colony formation from polycythemic patients.

Cell Survival↗

PubMed1987

[Rheumatoid serology: insufficient using a single test].

The rheumatoid factor research restricted to only a test finds evident limitation not only in clinical field, but also on epidemiological investigations. The problem may find a solution by contemporary employment of a tests pool both in epidemiology and in the different physiopathological conditions present in rheumatology. Such kind of proposal has been verified on rheumatic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis classic or probable, polyarthritic syndrome, polyarthritis, spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis) and not rheumatic ones and in control group population (2901 subjects controlled). The results obtained emphasize the eventual presence of rheumatoid factor in the control group population, usually documented by the isolate positivity of three or more tests is preponderant for the same occurrence. By the statistical analysis applied to the conditions with equivalent number in the positive tests, is resulted that the possibility to discriminate the population, apparently health from the sick one is realized in a significative way of the positive tests, and starting from the positivity of two or more tests at least. It can be concluded confirming the already historical datum that the rheumatoid factor research with a test only has a limited orientation power to the diagnosis purpose.

Adult↗

PubMed1974