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Biomedical subjects

J Damiano

Publications and source records attributed to J Damiano.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Positional cloning of a cyromazine resistance gene in Drosophila melanogaster.

Cyromazine is an effective insecticide used to control dipteran insects. Its precise mode of action is yet to be determined, although it has been suggested that it interferes with the hormone system, sclerotization of the cuticle, or nucleic acid metabolism. To understand the way in which cyromazine acts, we have positionally cloned a cyromazine resistance gene from Drosophila melanogaster. Six cyromazine resistance alleles had previously been generated by ethyl methanasulphonate treatment. Two of these failed to complement each other and here we identify them as having independent non-sense mutations in CG32743, which is an ortholog of Smg1 of worms and mammals and encodes a phosphatidylinositol kinase-like kinase (PIKK). RNAi experiments confirm that cyromazine resistance can be achieved by knocking down CG32743. These are the first cyromazine resistant mutations identified at the nucleotide level. In mammals Smg1 phosphorylates P53 in response to DNA damage. This finding supports the hypothesis that cyromazine interferes with nucleic acid metabolism.

Alleles↗
PubMed2004

Should pancreas imaging be recommanded in patients over 50 years when diabetes is discovered because of acute symptoms?

The relationship between diabetes mellitus and cancer of the pancreas is complex and incompletely understood. Nevertheless, it is generally agreed that new-onset diabetes in a patient over 50 Years old is a classical indication of pancreatic cancer. But there is no official directive in France that a scan should routinely be performed in such cases. We have studied 115 patients aged over 50 who were hospitalized for new-onset diabetes (fewer than 30 days) whose instability required insulin treatment. Routine imaging revealed abdominal disorders in 14 patients, 6 (5.2%) of whom were suffering from pancreatic adenocarcinomas. No clinical indication or laboratory test, apart from an unusually severe anorexia, suggested the discovered disorders. We therefore routinely carry out a pancreas scan, preferably by MRI, on all patients over 50 Years old presenting with new-onset diabetes, even if there are not clinical or laboratory indications of cancer. This is the only way in which small pancreatic cancers can be detected, thus providing the best hopes for successful treatment. Unfortunately, too often, this approach also detects only tumors that are already well developed. However, nowadays, it is not conceivable for a clinical team to discharge a patient from hospital with such a serious disease undiagnosed.

Abdomen↗
PubMed2003

[Extreme obesity in Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS)].

INTRODUCTION: Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) belong to genetic obesities and we report a caricatural observation. DEVELOPMENT: The early onset of (PWS) is characterised by a severe neonatal hypotonia with poor suck reflex--which may lead to tube feeding--and poor weight gain. Later appears insatiable appetite, morbid obesity associated with short stature, dysmorphic syndrome with small hands and behavioural disorders. Although diagnosis is based on clinical features, it must be confirmed by genetic test looking for the characteristic deletion of the chromosome 15q11-q13 region. PWS is the first example in humans of genetic imprinting. CONCLUSION: Today, the challenge in PWS is it early management which may authorise Growth Hormone administration.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Home blood pressure monitoring in diabetic population.

Normalization of blood pressure is today as necessary as an optimal blood glucose control. These targets aim at reducing the negative consequences of hypertension which is particularly frequent and of poor prognosis for these patients. Nevertheless, the definition of the real blood pressure of these patients is uneasy because of the lack of precision of clinical blood pressure measurement. New methods have been developed to address this insufficiency. Home blood pressure monitoring is characterised by good compliance and accuracy, but patient education needs a special training and validated automated devices. This method has to be proposed to the diabetic population as soon as hypertension may be a problem. These patients will contribute to monitor their own blood pressure as they do it with blood glucose control.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed2002

[Hip arthroplasty in genetic hemochromatosis. Report of 5 cases].

INTRODUCTION: Half of the patients with genetic hemochromatosis will have arthritis. Two of these articular involvements are well-known: the arthropathy involving the phalangeal and the metacarpophalangeal joints of the hand, useful for diagnosis, and hip arthropathy. Iron deposits seem to be involved in articular cartilage destruction. EXEGESIS: We report five cases of patients with hemochromatosis hip involvement. Hip arthropathy revealed hemochromatosis in one case and appeared despite efficient phlebotomies in another case. Three of these patients required hip arthroplasty. CONCLUSION: Hip arthropathy remains a frequent but unknown event in genetic hemochromatosis (12.5%) and it involves the functional prognosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

[Contribution of chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer of the cavum (UCNT): apropos of 47 cases].

The authors present, from a 47 patients retrospective study, the place of BAC chemotherapy in the treatment of undifferenciated nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Twenty three patients treated with exclusive radiation therapy are compared with 24 patients treated with three courses of BAC chemotherapy prior to and after radiation therapy. The procedure using associated chemotherapy permits to increase the 5 years survival rate up to 20% more and to obtain a 100% primary response of the tumor. This encouraging results should be confirmed by a prospective randomized study about a great number of patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Direct determination or estimated value of plasma ionized calcium : indications and limits].

Calcium plays a fundamental role in many essential for life functions. Ionized calcium (Ca(++) ) represents free fraction and 50% of the total calcium in the plasma is accepted as its physiologically active form. On almost all laboratories, only total calcium is routinely measured, and ionized calcium concentration is calculated based on calcium, protein or albumin concentrations for many plasma sample or with others parameters like pH. Since 1935, the literature was abounted with "correction" formulae of varying degree of sophistication. Many laboratories routinely use correction formulae to either calculate an "adjusted" or "corrected" total calcium, or "ionized" fraction is calculated,but these determinations lack of accuracy or precision. Errors associated with the measurement of the other variables contribuate to the difficulty in producing a useful correction formulae. Direct measurement of ionized calcium by potentiometry is the method of choice for this assay. Improvements in ion selective electrodes (ISE) technology make possible the routine clinical measurement of Ca(++). However this technology implies several obligations for its use, particulary in blood ampling, storage and transport. In this review, characteristics of different available analysers are described. We think that Ca(++) should be systematically performed and not calculated in pathological situations where an possible alteration of the calcium metabolism is found especially in multiple myeloma in which paraprotein may bind calcium.

Blood Chemical Analysis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Leflunomide in rheumatoid arthritis in daily practice: treatment discontinuation rates in comparison with other DMARDs.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the treatment discontinuation rate of leflunomide in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in comparison with the discontinuation of other disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), in daily practice, in a single center and during the same period of time. METHODS STUDY DESIGN: 3-year, retrospective, monocenter. PATIENTS: RA patients for whom leflunomide or another DMARD was initiated between 1998 and 2001 (several DMARDs could be initiated for a given patient during this period). Collected data: For each patient, demographic and disease data. For each treatment course, date of initiation, if relevant date of discontinuation and reason for discontinuation. ANALYSIS: Percentage of patients discontinuing treatment over time (life table method; Kaplan-Meier), comparison between leflunomide and the "any other DMARD" or methotrexate groups using the Log-Rank test. RESULTS: During the study period, 515 DMARDs were initiated in 285 patients. Leflunomide was initiated in 161 patients who were older and had a longer disease duration than the other treated patients (59 +/- 13 years and 14 +/- 9 years versus 54 +/- 15 years and 11 +/- 10 years in the leflunomide group and other DMARDs group respectively). Discontinuation rate of leflunomide after 1 year was 56.7%, mainly because of adverse drug reactions (41.6%). The discontinuation rate whatever the reason and for toxicity was higher for leflunomide than for other DMARDs studied. However discontinuation for inefficacy was similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: This study conducted in conditions of daily practice when leflunomide was first available suggests a higher discontinuation rate of leflunomide because of adverse events when compared to other DMARDs.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗