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Biomedical subjects

G Tonini

Publications and source records attributed to G Tonini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Factors associated with alcohol consumption in the youth of the province of Brescia].

We investigated factors related to adolescent alcohol consumption by administering an anonymous questionnaire to 2737 9th and 13th grade high-school students in the province of Brescia. A total of 1364 students coming from an urban area (the town of Brescia with about 200,000 inhabitants) and 1373 students from a mountainous area (Breno, Local Health Unit N. 37 in the Lombardy Region with 83,000 inhabitants) were interviewed. The associations between alcohol drinking and some demographic, socio-economic, behavioural and environmental variables were assessed by computing the correspective odds ratios (OR) by fitting logistic regression models for ordinal response variables ("cumulative odds" models). The results showed that the following variables were positively associated with alcohol consumption: 1) residence in a mountainous area, especially as regards spirits consumption; 2) experimental and regular smoking; 3) peer alcohol drinking (best friend and partner). Parents' daily alcohol consumption was associated with wine drinking, but not with either spirits consumption or frequency of drunkenness among students. A slight inverse relationship was also found between students' alcohol intake and their knowledge of the health hazards of alcohol, but it was not significant for all groups of students.

Adolescent

Perceptual strategies of isolation in obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

Recent findings have shown that the Defense Mechanism Test, a serial tachistoscopic technique developed inside the percept-genetic frame of reference, discriminates neurotics from normals, neurotics from schizophrenic outpatients, and subjects with histrionic personality disorder from controls. The present research addresses another major class of Axis II pathology, comparing on the Defense Mechanism Test a group with a psychometric diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (n = 26) with a matched sample of noncompulsive controls. As predicted, several variants of isolation were significantly more characteristic of the compulsive group. Intellectualization, disappearance of the whole structure, whitening of the hero, and lack of recognition of the threat were the variants of isolation with the best discriminative properties. Codings of reaction formation were not linked with compulsive personality, which is congruent with the recent observation of their correspondence to the histrionic personality disorder. The findings are presented in the context of the percept-genetic literature on obsessive-compulsive defensive strategies.

Adult

Smoking habits and sporting activity among adolescents in north Italy.

A cross-sectional survey of the smoking habits of 330 17-19 year-old males practising physical activity as members of sports teams, and of 366 male students in the same age range was carried out in Brescia, North Italy. A total of 23.3% of the athletes and 30.9% of the students smoked at least one cigarette a week (chi 2 = 4.60, p less than 0.05), and 17.3% and 19.7% smoked at least one cigarette a day, respectively (chi 2 = 0.51; p greater than 0.05). The smoking athletes had on average 50.3 cigarettes/week and students 47.0 (t-test: 0.46; p greater than 0.05). No difference was found with respect to age at their first experience with smoking, while athletes began to smoke regularly before than students, proportionally (chi 2 for linear trend: 5.29, p less than 0.05). Sporting activity was negatively associated with current smoking by multiple logistic regression: the odds ratio of current smoking for athletes with respect to students was 0.5 (95% CI: 0.4-0.8). Among a set of social, environmental and behavioural variables, best friend's and girlfriend's smoking was the one most strongly associated with current smoking in both groups.

Adolescent

[Fluorouracil and high-dose folinic acid in the treatment of advanced colorectal carcinoma].

Forty-five consecutive patients with advanced colorectal cancer were treated with 5-fluorouracil and high dose folinic acid. Among 43 evaluable patients there were 7 objective responses for an overall response rate of 16%. Toxicity was generally mild and rapidly reversible. Compared to those reported with 5-fluorouracil alone, these results failed to demonstrate an increase in response rate in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer with the combination of 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid.

Adult

Neonatal-onset panhypopituitarism in a girl with Brachmann-De Lange syndrome.

We report on a girl with recurrent hypoglycemia since age 2 days and severe impairment of physical and neurological development. Panhypopituitarism was recognized at age 5 months. The diagnosis of Brachmann-De Lange syndrome (BDLS) was also made. Replacement therapy has avoided further episodes of hypoglycemia, improved growth, and allowed partial psychomotor catch-up. Though we are not aware of any other report of panhypopituitarism in patients with BDLS, we suggest that hormonal derangement may play a role in the manifestations of this syndrome.

De Lange Syndrome

5-Fluorouracil, epirubicin, and BCNU (FEB) in advanced measurable gastric cancer.

Forty-eight patients with advanced measurable gastric cancer were treated with the three-drug combination of 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, and BCNU (FEB). The response rate was 42% in 45 evaluable patients. There were five complete responders (11%). The median duration of response was 13 months, and the median survival of all patients was 9.2 months. Toxicity was generally mild to moderate. No instances of congestive heart failure were recorded. These results indicate that patients with metastatic gastric cancer can be effectively palliated with FEB chemotherapy.

Adenocarcinoma

[Aztreonam and oxacillin in the treatment of febrile neutropenic patients with solid tumors].

22 consecutive febrile episodes in 21 neutropenic (PMN less than 1000/mmc) cancer patients, were treated with aztreonam and oxacillin. Nineteen patients were severely neutropenic (PMN less than 500/mmc). Cure was obtained in 86% of the febrile episodes, including 6/7 bacteriologically documented gram negative infections. No major side effects were observed. These results seem to indicate that aztreonam is effective as empiric treatment of gram negative infections in neutropenic patients. However, it must be used in combination with another antibiotic to ensure gram positive coverage.

Adult

Cisplatin, high dose folinic acid and 5-fluorouracil in squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. A pilot study.

We treated 20 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus with the following regimen: cisplatin = 100 mg/m2 i.v. day 1, HDFA = 200 mg/m2 i.v. day 1 to 5, 5-fluorouracil = 370 mg/m2 i.v. day 1 to 5 repeated every 28 days. Among the 17 evaluable patients, 4 (23%) had a partial remission, 6 had stable disease while 7 progressed. The median survival for all patients was 6+ months. Grade III or IV toxicity included 2 patients with grade III leukopenia, 1 with grade III thrombocytopenia, 1 patient with grade IV and 3 patients with grade III oral mucositis, 3 patients with grade III diarrhea. The regimen did not seem particularly active in the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and had manageable but substantial toxicity.

Aged

Trisomy 20p from maternal t(3;20) translocation.

A case of trisomy 20p resulting from a maternal translocation t(3;20) is described. QM and BUdR banding techniques were used for its identification. A round face with oblique palpebral fissures, strabismus, cardiac and vertebral abnormalities, mild psychomotor retardation, together with poor coordination and speech impediment, are the most typical features of the proband.

Child, Preschool