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Biomedical subjects

I Bianchi

Publications and source records attributed to I Bianchi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Spinal deformity in a sandtiger shark, Carcharias taurus Rafinesque: a clinical-pathological study.

The present study investigated spinal deformity in a captive sandtiger shark and describes the clinical and histopathological features of the lesion. Clinically, the shark presented a marked spinal curvature in the region between the pectoral girdle and cranial dorsal fin. Radiographic studies revealed scoliosis and kyphosis of the vertebral column with a modification of the basic structure of five vertebrae. Post-mortem examination confirmed the results of radiographic studies and histological examination showed remodelling and cartilaginous proliferation of the vertebral bodies together with necrosis, haemorrhage and signs of a local chronic inflammatory response extending to the surrounding muscle. Different aetiologies are proposed and discussed but nutritional imbalance (dietary vitamin deficiency) and/or traumatic injury are considered the most likely contributing factors.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Transient or persistent asthma-like symptoms and lung growth over 2-year follow-up in pre-adolescent children.

BACKGROUND: The main purpose of this study was to assess the effect of transient and continued asthma-like symptoms on lung function growth in preadolescent children. METHODS: The follow-up respiratory health survey has been conducted on the sample of 1,129 children aged 9 years over 2 years follow-up. The basic health end-points were the occurrence of asthma-like symptoms and slower lung function growth (SLFG), which was defined as the lung function gain over 2 years within the lowest quintile of the distribution of a given spirometric test. RESULTS: Adjusted odds ratios (OR) for SLFG [forced vital capacity (FVC)] were significantly higher only in the children having continued symptoms [OR = 3.39: 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.39-8.27]. There was a consistent trend of adjusted ORs for SLFG [forced expiratory volume (FEV,) with the category of symptoms, where OR was 2.00 (95% Cl = 1.17-3.42) in children with transient symptoms: while 4.10 (95% Cl = 1.71-9.86) in children who had persistent symptoms. The corresponding ORs for SLFG [maximal mid-expiratory flow (FEF25_75c)] were 2.27 (95% Cl = 1.37-3.76); and 5.43 (95% Cl = 2.38-12.40). DISCUSSION: The association between asthma-like symptoms and lung function gain in preadolescent children confirmed the clinical significance of the symptoms in question. The observed slower lung function gain in preadolescence may have implications for the development of chronic lung disease later in adulthood.

Asthma↗
PubMed2001

Cohort study on low physical activity level and recurrent acute respiratory infections in schoolchildren.

The purpose of the study was to explain childhood respiratory infections in terms of life-style factors like being overweight or physically inactive. In the course of the cohort study we gathered data on respiratory health of 1028 preadolescent children in Krakow. Recurrent acute respiratory infections (RARI) in children have been defined as frequent spells (10 or more infections) over the two-year follow-up. In scoring the physical activity level, the data on regularly exercising sport and the number of hours spent daily TV watching or doing homework have been used. Excessive weight was based on the BMI index. In the total sample, the RR estimates of RARI adjusted to BMI and other potential confounders were consistently higher in children with low physical exercise (RR = 2.96; 95% CI: 1.78-4.93) or with moderate exercise (RR = 1.87; 95% CI: 1.33-2.65). Than among the highly active group. In the subgroups of allergic and non-allergic or overweight and not-overweight children the adjusted RR estimates were consistent with those found in the total sample. We concluded that physical exercise in preadolescent children may lessen the risk of acute respiratory infections and that the low physical activity is an independent predictor of increased risk of RARI besides excessive weight and other potential risk factors.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1999

Clinical efficacy and tolerability of a steady dosage schedule of local nasal immunotherapy. Results of preseasonal treatment in grass pollen rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: Local nasal immunotherapy (LNIT) is an effective and safe alternative to conventional subcutaneous immunotherapy. A specific nasal provocation test (SNPT) could be used to indicate the optimal subclinical dose to carry out LNIT. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesize that LNIT could be carried out with only one predefined dose for all patients, so we have evaluated the efficacy and the tolerability of LNIT administered at steady dosages in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. METHODS: Twenty grass pollen-sensitized patients suffering from seasonal allergic rhinitis were studied in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The treatment was carried out according to a schedule based on the administration of a steady subclinical dosage of the allergenic extract, selected on the basis of the sensitivity threshold of the SNPT. The patients were divided into two groups of 10 people each, which were treated either with grass pollen extract in a hydroglyceric solution or with placebo. RESULTS: During the peak pollen period, with regard to the placebo (P) group, in the grass treated (GT) group a significant decrease of both nasal symptoms (P = .021) and consumption of antihistamines (P = 0.047) was found. Furthermore, only in the GT group was the provocative dose assessed by the SNPT significantly lower (P = .049) at the end of the treatment. In this group of patients an inverse correlation between such provocative dose and the nasal symptom score reported during the peak pollen period was also evidenced (r = 0.708; P = .038). Adverse reactions to LNIT were mild, rare, and did not interfere with the completion of the therapeutic schedule. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that LNIT, when administered at steady dosages, may be proposed as a treatment for grass pollen seasonal allergic rhinitis as it appears to be effective and well tolerated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Predisposition to acute respiratory infections among overweight preadolescent children: an epidemiologic study in Poland.

This cross-sectional field health survey has as its subjects 1129 preadolescent children resident in Krakow. Trained health visitors interviewed the mothers at the children's schools or at the parents' homes in order to gather standardized information regarding the families' social background and the families' and children's respiratory health and episodes of respiratory infections. Predisposition to respiratory infections in children has been defined as frequent spells (3 or more) of acute respiratory infections experienced by a given child over the 12 months preceding the interview. Clinical examination of children consisted of anthropometric measurements and spirometric testing. Anthropometric measurements (weight and height) were used for calculation of the body mass index (kg/m2). A child whose BMI was 20 or higher was defined as overweight (90th percentile). Susceptibility to acute respiratory infections was related significantly to body mass index. The children with BMI > or = 20 experienced twice as high a risk for acute respiratory infections than children with low BMI (OR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.13-3.59). Out of other potential factors possibly involved in the occurrence of respiratory infections only the presence of chronic respiratory symptoms (OR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.64-3.59), allergy (OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.34-2.66), and Environmental Tobacco Smoke (OR = 1.54; 95% CI: 1.05-2.25) increased the susceptibility of children to acute respiratory infections. Central heating in the household was shown to have a protective effect (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.43-1.00) when compared with children from households where coal or gas was used for home heating.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1997

Capsular type distribution and susceptibility to antibiotics of Streptococcus pneumoniae clinical strains isolated from Uruguayan children with systemic infections. Pneumococcus Study Group.

Children under 24 months of age are at high risk for serious infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae but they do not elicit effective immune responses to the currently available capsular polysaccharide vaccines. A polysaccharide protein conjugated vaccine involving the most frequent types has become an urgent need. To produce such a vaccine for Latin America, information on type distribution is required. Recently, Uruguay was 1 of the 6 countries in Latin America where surveillance for invasive pneumococcal infections in children under the age of 5 years was carried out. Seventy percent of the 182 invasive S. pneumoniae isolates were recovered from patients under 24 months of age, and 19% were recovered from infants under 6 months. The 7 most frequent types were 14, 5, 1, 6B, 3, 7F, and 19A; representing 80% of invasive isolates. Twenty-one types were identified, 16 in pneumonia and 14 in meningitis. Resistance to penicillin increased during the study period, from 29% in 1994, to 40% in 1995-1996, mainly because of the spread of type 14 strains resistant to penicillin and trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazol (89% of resistant isolates). The high proportion of systemic pneumococcal infections recorded in patients under 24 months of age and the increasing resistance of these agents to first-choice antibiotics point to an urgent need for a capsular polysaccharide protein conjugated vaccine.

Drug Resistance, Microbial↗
PubMed1997

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of preventive immunotherapy with E.P.D., in the treatment of seasonal allergic disease.

Control of seasonal symptoms by means of a preventive and easy to use (only one intradermal injection eight weeks before the pollen peak) immunotherapy, is recommended nowadays. We verified the clinical efficacy of E.P.D. (Enzyme Potentiated Desensibilization) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. This particular immunotherapy consists of an intradermal injection mix, made up of allergenic extracts at extremely low doses and an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase. The vaccine is administered once a year, eight weeks before pollen peaks. We studied a group of 40 patients allergic to grass pollen. The results, analysed statistically on the basis of a symptoms score, showed good clinical efficacy and a significant reduction of drug consumption during the high pollen period. Due to the clinical effectiveness, easy administration (only on injection) and excellent tolerance of the immunotherapy, E.P.D. is particularly suited for the prevention of seasonal symptoms in patients allergic to grass pollen.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1995

Effects of Deomestic Gas Cooking and Passive Smoking on Chronic Respiratory Symptoms and Asthma in Elderly Women.

The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of indoor air pollution resulting from the use of gas stoves for cooking on women more than 65 years old, who may be more susceptible than younger women to the harmful effects of pollutants. A total of 1,544 women living in Cracow took part in a survey. The data were collected to standardized interviews dealing with respiratory symptoms (coughing, phlegm production, dyspnea on exertion), chronic chest diseases diagnosed by a doctor, active and passive smoking, educational level, type of cooking fuel used, and average time spent daily in cooking. Lung function was tested with a spirometer. Comparison of the prevalence of respiratory symptoms by daily duration of cooking of smokers with that of never-smokers showed more symptoms in smokers even in the low-exposure category. In multivariate analysis, the effects of duration of cooking with gas on asthma for the highest exposure category in terms of odds ratios (ORs) were 2.8 for the never-smokers and 2.4 for the smokers; however, passive smoking had no significant effect. As regards dyspnea on exertion, both gas cooking and passive smoking had significant effects in never-smokers (OR for gas cooking 7.2, for passive smoking 2.2). The OR for dyspnea due to cooking with gas in smokers was 3.1. Mean FVC and FEV&inf1; levels were not decreased among passive smokers or those who were subject to high levels of gas-cooking exposure.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Effect of L-propionyl carnitine on some properties of erythrocytes and leukocytes of alcohol abusers.

The effect of L-propionyl carnitine, the carnitine derivative utilized as a more effective drug for membrane protection, on Na-K ATPase activity of erythrocyte ghosts of alcohol-dependent patients and blood donors has been investigated. The effect of L-propionyl carnitine on leukocyte chemotaxis and cytochrome c reduction, a measure of superoxide ion production was also studied. It has been in fact observed that alcohol is immunotoxic on both the non-specific and the specific immune response. In alcohol-dependent erythrocytes, a significant higher value of the 1H-NMR spin lattice relaxation time (T1) was observed as compared to blood-donor erythrocytes. The in-vitro addition of ethanol increases the T1 values of blood donor erythrocytes, whereas it is without effect on the T1 value of alcohol-dependent erythrocytes. The Na-K ATPase activity is higher in alcohol-dependent erythrocyte ghosts as compared to blood-donor ghosts. A non-significant increase of the Na-K ATPase activity of blood-donor ghosts was observed with the increasing of L-propionyl carnitine concentrations (from 0.2 to 5.0 mM), whereas the Na-K ATPase activity of alcohol-dependent ghosts decreases. From these combined effects the differences of Na-K ATPase activity progressively decrease with the increasing of L-propionyl carnitine concentration, and no significant differences are observed between the two groups at L-propionyl carnitine concentrations higher than 0.5 mM. The in-vitro addition of ethanol increases the enzyme activity to a greater extent in blood-donor ghosts as compared to alcohol-dependent ghosts. This in-vitro activation by ethanol is decreased by the addition of L-propionyl carnitine. The chemotaxis induced by N-formyl-methionyl-leucylphenylalanine and the superoxide anion production stimulated by zymosan is significantly lower in alcohol-dependent neutrophils. L-Propionyl carnitine increases, in a dose-dependent way, both chemotaxis and superoxide anion production of alcohol-dependent neutrophils, and no significant difference was observed between the two groups at 5 mM L-propionyl carnitine. These experimental results suggest that L-propionyl carnitine administration may be useful for reducing some acute and chronic damages due to alcohol ingestion. The protective and modulatory actions of L-propionyl carnitine may be even more evident in cells and tissues different from those investigated in this study and in which ethanol determines several biochemical damages.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1989

Erythrocytes parameters due to aging, smoking, alcohol consumption and occupational activity in a working population of petrochemical industry. The Pavia Study.

The main purpose of the study was to assess the red blood cell disorders in works employed in the petrochemical industry in the Lombardia region (ENI). In the analysis of the data the confounding factors such as age, smoking habit, alcohol consumption, nutritional status based on body mass index have also been taken into consideration. In total, material consisted of 1175 male workers in whom red blood cell examination of the peripheral fasting blood was carried out. The results of the study showed that clinical anemia has been found in 1.7% of subjects examined. The distribution of anemia cases was not related to job category or physical occupational activity, neither to age, smoking or alcohol consumption. However, the results of the study suggest that aging processes are associated with weakening of hemopoietic system which affect in a great extent hemoglobin production. The effect of smoking on hemopoietic system appeared to have different features from that attributed to aging. Smoking increased hemoglobin level and hematocrit significantly in comparison to nonsmokers, but had no effect on the number of erythrocytes. It was concluded that adaptation to carbon monoxide inhaled with cigarette smoke is reflected by an increased red cell mass and hemoglobin. Occupational factors measured by the type of job (manual vs nonmanual) appeared to have no harmful effect on the hemopoietic system, however, respondents who reported working physically in an intensive way, showed significantly lower mean corpuscular concentration hemoglobin level than those having a sedentary job or engaged in very small physical activity at work.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

A computerized program of skin test evaluation and its predictive value in immunotherapy.

The present study describes a computerized methodology for the assessment of specific skin testing which is both sensitive and reproducible. We evaluated the predictive value of this technique in identifying patients at great risk for developing undesirable reactions during hyposensitization. In 11 of 93 patients we were able to detect an unusual dermal response in the patients who developed either generalized or local generalized adverse reactions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Failure of somatostatin to diagnose organic hyperinsulinism.

In four patients with organic hyperinsulinism (two with surgically proven beta-cell adenomas of the body of the pancreas) a standard tolbutamide test during continuous somatostatin infusion (5 microgram/min) was carried out. Tolbutamide induced insulin release was completely inhibited by somatostatin as in normal subjects. These results suggest that the inhibition test with somatostatin does not seem to be a better or safer way of diagnosing insulin producing tumours.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Discriminant analysis in the differential diagnosis of hypercalcaemia.

Linear discriminant analysis, a multivariate statistical procedure, applied to serum calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, bicarbonate, chloride, creatinine and tubular reabsorption of phosphate, proved to be effective in distinguishing patients with Primary Hyperparathyroidism from other hypercalcaemic patients in eithy-four retrospective cases. The application of the model to thirty-four prospective cases enabled us to separate correctly, hyperparathyroid patients from non-parathyroid hypercalcaemic patients.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1976

[Serum calcium evaluation and incidence of primary hyperparathyroidism in hospitalized patients (author's transl)].

Automated laboratory procedures have made possible to "screen" a large population for specific biochemical abnormalities. Primitive hyperparathyroidism is for several respects an excellent disease model for testing "mass screening". Il is often asymptomatic, not uncommon, and is manifested by abnormalities in the levels of serum calcium and inorganic phosphorus, that can be detected cheaply with automated equipment. A computer program has been developed to screen patients with hypercalcaemia. During a period of 18 months 22720 hospitalized patients were investigated by the evaluation of serum calcium, and 80 hypercalcaemic patients were found. The diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism was established in 24 patients (in 19 histologically confirmed) so that the incidence of primary hyperparathyroidism (1,05%) compares favorably with that reported from some foreign Authors.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship between obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

This study investigated the presence of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) in a group of 277 patients (88 with obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD], 58 with major depressive disorder [MDD], and 131 with panic disorder [Panic]) to test the specificity of the relationship between OCPD and OCD. OCPD is statistically significantly more frequent in patients with OCD than in those with Panic and MDD. The distribution of single criteria of OCPD in the three groups does not differ significantly. Discriminant analysis selects a list of items that provide a correct classification rate of 66% based on OCPD criteria selected by canonical function. OCD patients with and without OCPD do not differ in sex, age of onset, duration of illness, positive family history for Tics disorder/Tourette syndrome (TS), or morbidity risk for OCD.

Adult↗