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Biomedical subjects

L Greco

Publications and source records attributed to L Greco.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Volume and emptying of the gallbladder in patients with cystic fibrosis.

As in cystic fibrosis (CF), gallbladder (GB) hypokinesia might play a role in the high incidence of either cholelithiasis or atrophic and hypoplastic GBs. We studied the contractility of the GB by ultrasonography (US) in 57 CF patients and in 25 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. We evaluated the status of the GB, the GB volume after an overnight fasting and 30 min after the ingestion of a standardized milk meal, the GB contractility (the percentage of reduction, (%R) of the GB volume after a meal), the presence of gallstones, and finally, the span of the liver. In addition, liver function test results were evaluated in the CF group. We concluded that the mean values of GB contractility in CF patients do not differ from those of healthy controls, the most hypokinetic GBs (%R less than 40%) being observed, however, only in the CF group. Gallstones occur in CF patients with a greater frequency than seen in the normal population, even in early childhood. The CF patients' GB mean volumes in fasting conditions are significantly greater than in healthy controls (13.5 +/- 2 versus 8.5 +/- 1.5 cc, p less than 0.0001).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Pulsatile weight increases in very low birthweight babies appropriate for gestational age.

The weight increment profiles of 20 low birthweight babies measured during the first two months of extrauterine life were analysed. The babies were weighed daily, and the weight profiles showed minor irregularities when compared with an interpolated linear trend. When increments were plotted at two week intervals a linear increase in weight velocity was seen, but when increments were computed every three days, the velocity profile was non-linear and pulsatile. All cases studied showed regular pulsatile patterns of weight velocity during the first two months of life. A mean profile of the 20 babies permitted estimation of the periodicity of the pulsing: the cycle alternated every nine to 11 days. A non-linear pattern was found in the published series of unsmoothed data that have been widely adopted as standards for growth in low birthweight babies.

Female↗
PubMed1990

Survival in cystic fibrosis: preliminary report from an Italian multicenter study.

An Italian multicenter study has been carried out in order to obtain data on survival and prognostic factors in CF. We report data from four CF Centers: Milan, Neaples, Cagliari, Rome, Anagraphic data, mode of presentation and of diagnosis were collected, using CFDB database, from 536 CF pts. 39 pts had meconium ileus (7.3%); 269 (50%) were diagnosed before 12 months of age. 27 pts were lost to follow-up (5%); and 65 pts died (12%). Statistical analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier survival curves compared by Logrank test.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

The influence of severe bulb deformity on duodenal ulcer relapse.

In order to evaluate the prognostic role of duodenal bulb deformation in the recurrence of peptic ulcer, duodenal bulb morphology and the complete healing of duodenal ulcer were endoscopically evaluated in sixty patients, who were subsequently allocated at random to either maintenance therapy with ranitidine or no treatment. Endoscopic checkups were done at regular intervals, up to the first ulcer recurrence. As expected, long-term ranitidine treatment significantly reduced the relapse rate (12 month cumulative relapse rate was 32% versus 86% in the untreated). A set of prognostic factors which might interfere with this result (sex, age, alcohol consumption, history of ulcerous relatives, duration of the disease, previous H2-blocking treatment, previous complications, smoking and morphology of the duodenal bulb) were evaluated by multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model. Only duodenal bulb morphology appeared to have any independent prognostic value. In the untreated group ulcer recurrence seemed to occur earlier (median relapse time = 2 months) in the patients with severe non-stenosing bulb deformity, and later in those with normal or mildly deformed bulb (median relapse time = 8 months); ranitidine treatment delayed relapse in deformed bulb patients (median relapse time = 14 months) and almost eliminated it in those with normal duodenal bulb morphology. No association was found between the presence of duodenal bulb deformity and the above-mentioned covariates. Our study confirms the primary importance of anti-H2 treatment and suggests that anatomical characteristics of the duodenal bulb also influence the occurrence of ulcer relapse.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Unchanging clinical picture of coeliac disease presentation in Campania, Italy.

Four hundred and sixty-three new diagnoses of coeliac disease in children were made during 1973 to 1986 in our department. The distribution of new diagnoses per year did not show any decreasing trend in the period 1973 to 1986. No changing trend in breast feeding attitudes was found in the region during the same period. Analysis of the clinical pattern showed a constant distribution of age at diagnosis, onset of first symptoms and nature of symptoms throughout the period studied. These data suggest that coeliac disease is predominantly genetically determined and its expression is modulated by individual and environmental factors. The stability of the observed prevalence of the disease is parallel to the unchanging pattern of breast feeding attitudes in the region.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Early prediction of relapse during gluten challenge in childhood celiac disease.

Thirty-seven children, in whom celiac disease had been diagnosed because of flat mucosa on a gluten-containing diet and recovery on a gluten-free diet, were challenged with gluten powder, 10 g/day, in addition to an otherwise gluten-free diet. A small intestinal biopsy was performed before the challenge; clinical symptoms, a 1-h blood xylose test, and gliadin antibody measurement were used to establish the timing of the confirmatory biopsy. All but one case relapsed within 205 days (mode, 60 days). In no case was the relapse clinically evident. Raised levels of gliadin antibodies, a fall in xylose absorption, or both predicted the relapse in 37%, 7%, and 57% of cases, respectively. Evaluated individually, each test gave a considerable rate of false negative results. Discriminant coefficients produced for each test were used to compute a score that allowed the classification of patients into relapse/no relapse categories with a good degree of accuracy. The discriminant score rose sharply after only 15 days of challenge, indicating that it is possible to predict the relapse long before any clinical symptom appears.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1989

[Cholelithiasis in advanced age].

Fifty seven patients over 65 affected with cholelithiasis underwent surgical procedures at II Patologia Chirurgica-University of Bari-Italy, from July 1987 to December 1988. Different risk factors were considered. The results, which reported a low incidence of morbidity and mortality, suggest the importance to adopt early surgery. Though 73.2% of patients had associated pathologies and 28.6% had two or more risk factors, only 5.3% of them had complications not strictly related to surgery.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1989

[Total pericystectomy in the treatment of hepatic echinococcosis].

Fourteen patients, affected with hepatic echinococcosis, who underwent total pericystectomy at II Patologia Chirurgica, University of Bari-Italy, were retrospectively evaluated. The period considered was July 1987-December 1988. Immediate (low morbidity and no mortality) and late (no recurrences) results showed that total pericystectomy is the treatment of choice in hepatic hydatidosis.

Echinococcosis, Hepatic↗
PubMed1989

[A case of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis treated with thymopentin].

The case of a ten year old girl with JRA presenting a systemic onset and resistant to non-steroid therapy is described. After one course of thymopentin the patient responded satisfactorily. After ten months from the beginning of treatment and a third course she is still doing well. The authors comment the modalities of therapy.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1988

Efficacy of a new transdermal nitroglycerin patch (Deponit 10) for stable angina pectoris.

In this double-blind randomized placebo-controlled crossover study, the antianginal and anti-ischemic effect of a new transdermal system, releasing 10 mg of nitroglycerin (NTG) over 24 hours, was assessed in 19 outpatients with stable exercise-induced angina pectoris. The trial consisted of a 3-day washout: a 1-week period with verum or placebo patch followed by a second 1-week period with the other patch. During the study only sublingual NTG was allowed, and its consumption and the number of attacks recorded. Treadmill exercise tests were performed at the end of washout before patch application (baseline test) and 3 and 24 hours, respectively, after each period of 7 days of application of 1 patch daily. Systolic blood pressure and heart rate did not vary significantly at rest in the 17 patients who completed the trial. Angina was reduced 31.3% and NTG consumption 34.3% (p less than 0.01) during the week with Deponit 10 as compared with placebo. Exercise duration increased 29 and 16.1% (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.1, respectively) at 3 and 24 hours with a verum patch as compared with placebo. ST-segment depression at comparable loads decreased 69 and 40.5% (p less than 0.01) at 3 and 24 hours, respectively, after application of Deponit. Onset of angina was delayed and maximal heart rate-blood pressure product significantly increased at 3 and 24 hours of treatment. It is concluded that Deponit 10 patch is effective in reducing anginal attacks and in increasing exercise capacity up to 24 hours after application.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed1988

Gluten-sensitive enteropathy in childhood.

Genetic and environmental factors (breast feeding, probably viral infections) play a role in the expression of the disease. Prevalence of GSE in childhood did not substantially decrease in the last 15 years in all European countries, where GSE is still more common in infantile age and presents frequently gastrointestinal symptoms. A decrease has been reported in childhood in several United Kingdom areas and in Finland, where the clinical presentation is changing, shifting upward with age and coming closer to the adult type of the disease. The following clinical problems have been reported in the recent literature: enamel hypoplasia; monosymptomatic short stature; arthritis and other immunologic diseases; association with diabetes, atopy, Iga deficiency, and probably Down's syndrome. Delay in puberty and other peculiar problems of the disease have been described in adolescents. Tests assessing the permeability of the small intestine and the blood levels of antigliadin antibodies have recently gained success as noninvasive tools for the diagnosis of the GSE. The gluten should be withdrawn from the diet and the challenge with gluten should be performed not before 12 months of gluten-free diet with an accurate timing of the biopsy on the basis of the antigliadin and antireticulin antibodies, to avoid clinical and growth damage. Celiac children do require a permanent gluten-free (and not poor) diet. In reality, too many celiac adolescents are off-diet.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

A simplified test to detect PKU heterozygotes by discriminant analysis in mentally retarded children and their mothers.

We have developed classification coefficients and an equation to detect heterozygotes for phenylketonuria. The combination of several variables (Phe, Phe/Tyr, Phe2/Tyr) gave a safe diagnosis in more than 96% of cases. We then computerized a random selection of our population, which was divided into two groups: the first was "selected" to compute discriminant functions, while the second, excluded from computation, was used to check the fitness of our method. Despite the reduction of sample size, 95.2% of unknown subjects were correctly classified. Finally, we used our equation to detect heterozygotes for phenylketonuria in a population of 26 children, affected by non-specific mental retardation, and their mothers. We found a high proportion of carriers for phenylketonuria, defined as subjects having a percent probability of correct classification higher than 90. By this method, heterozygosity was detected in two child-mother couples, four individual children and five mothers.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Postheparin plasma diamine oxidase in subjects with small bowel disease. Diagnostic efficiency of a simplified test.

Diamine oxidase (DAO) is an enzyme located almost exclusively in the villus tip enterocytes of mammals. Its plasma activity, normally very low, is enhanced by intravenous heparin that releases the enzyme from the enterocytes into the blood. Postheparin plasma DAO (PHD) values have been shown to be significantly reduced in patients with malabsorption and villus atrophy and in patients with Crohn's disease, thus suggesting that this test explores the mucosal integrity. The execution of the PHD test requires 8 blood samples over a period of 120 min after an intravenous injection of 15,000 IU of heparin, and then the calculation of the area under the curve. The aim of this study was to simplify the test and make it more acceptable by choosing only one of the eight curve points required for the calculation of the area under the curve and then assessing its discriminant power in different small bowel diseases. To this end, a discriminant analysis was performed on PHD curves of 16 normal subjects, 25 patients with celiac disease, 14 patients with treated celiac disease, 5 patients with diffuse primary small bowel lymphoma, 4 patients with small bowel lymphoma during treatment, and 55 patients with small bowel Crohn's disease. Plasma DAO values assayed 1 h (T60) after the injection of 15,000 IU of heparin proved to be the best discriminator curve point and the use of the T60 point alone may be usefully employed instead of the area under the 120-min curve.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Statural growth of children with chronic renal failure on conservative treatment.

Statural growth was studied in 20 prepubertal children with chronic renal failure on conservative treatment followed-up 1.1 to 8.9 years (average 3.9). Five children reached end-stage renal failure during the follow-up period and underwent dialysis or transplantation. Most patients grew at a normal rate. During the observation period only 1 out of 20 children lost more than 0.5 height standard deviation score whereas 9 gained 0.5 to 3.1. A growth velocity above the 97th percentile for at least 1 year was observed in 6 patients. A normal growth rate and even catch-up growth is possible in children with chronic renal failure regardless of the degree of reduction of glomerular function.

Child↗
PubMed1987

Complete amino-acid sequence of bovine seminal ribonuclease, a dimeric protein from seminal plasma.

The complete amino-acid sequence of BS-RNAse, a dimeric ribonuclease isolated from bovine seminal plasma, was determined. The reduced and S-carboxymethylated subunit chain of the enzyme was cleaved by trypsin and chymotrypsin. The resulting peptides, purified by cation-exchange chromatography were sequenced by dansyl-Edman, subtractive Edman degradation and carboxypeptidase A and B digestion. Chymotryptic peptides were used for the alignment. Automated Edman degradation of the native protein, through the N-terminal 41 amino-acid residues, completed the sequence information. The subunit chain of BS-RNAse, composed of 124 amino-acid residues, with a molecular mass of 13,610 Da, is highly homologous (81%) to pancreatic ribonuclease A. A good degree of homology (31%) was also found with human angiogenin. No N-linked carbohydrate-attachment sites, such as Asn-X-Ser/Thr, were found in the protein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗