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Biomedical subjects

Gabriele Mora

Publications and source records attributed to Gabriele Mora.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Severely increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis among Italian professional football players.

The cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is still unknown. A possible relationship between ALS and sport participation has been supposed, but never definitely demonstrated. We studied a cohort of 7325 male professional football players engaged by a football team from the Italian First or Second Division in the period 1970-2001. ALS cases were identified using different concurrent sources. Standardized morbidity ratios (SMRs) were calculated. During the 137,078 person-years of follow-up, five ALS cases were identified (mean age of onset, 43.4 years). Three cases had a bulbar onset, significantly more than expected (P = 0.003). Since the number of expected cases was 0.77, the overall SMR was 6.5 [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.1-15.1]. The SMR was significantly increased for an ALS onset before 49 years, but not for older subjects. A significant increase of the SMR was found in the periods 1980-1989 and 1990-2001, whereas no ALS case was found in the 1970-1979 period. A dose-response relationship between the duration of professional football activity and the risk of ALS was found (>5 years, 15.2, 95% CI, 3.1-44.4; < or =5 years, 3.5, 95% CI, 0.4-12.7). Our findings seem to indicate that playing professional football is a strong risk factor for ALS.

Adolescent↗

Motor neuron disease and optic neuropathy after acute exposure to a methanol-containing solvent mixture.

A 34-years-old floor-layer developed optic neuropathy and motor neuron disease after being accidentally exposed to a solvent mixture containing methanol and other substances. Optic neuropathy is a complication of methanol poisoning, but the onset of a motor neuron disorder resembling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis after the exposure to these substances has not been previously described. The temporal onset of the clinical symptoms, biological plausibility, young age of the patient and absence of neurological disorders in the family history raises suspicion of a possible causative relationship.

Adult↗

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated with pregnancy: report of four new cases and review of the literature.

Pregnancy in women with ALS is rare and is generally considered a potentially dangerous event. We describe four ALS cases associated with pregnancy, together with a review of the literature. Three of the four women described developed ALS during pregnancy. In three cases a normal delivery was performed, with a healthy child. One patient, with severe respiratory failure, underwent an interruption of pregnancy. Seven other cases are reported in the literature, featuring a total of 11 pregnancies. The association between pregnancy and ALS is quite rare, and a pathogenic relationship cannot be excluded. The pregnancy and the delivery may be normal, but respiratory function should be carefully monitored. Generally, ALS does not have deleterious effects on fetal development. However, pregnancy in a woman with severe respiratory failure may precipitate the disease.

Abortion, Induced↗