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Biomedical subjects

L Marchesi

Publications and source records attributed to L Marchesi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Third outbreak of trichinellosis caused by consumption of horse meat in Italy.

The clinical and epidemiological aspects of the largest Italian outbreak of human trichinellosis which occurred in Northern Italy in August 1986 are reported. About 300 people who ate raw horse meat were involved. The clinical and biological aspects of 161 patients were studied. None died. The causal parasite, isolated from a patient, was identified through isoenzymatic typing as Trichinella nelsoni. Fever, oedema, myalgia and headache were the most common signs and symptoms. The Fluorescent Antibody Test (FAT) proved positive for 96 percent of the patients showing clinical manifestations. Essential laboratory data are reported.

Adolescent↗

A comparative trial of desferrioxamine and hydroxychloroquine for treatment of porphyria cutanea tarda in alcoholic patients.

Forty male alcoholic patients with porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) were randomly assigned to 2 groups of 20. The 1st group received desferrioxamine (30 mg/kg body weight/day for 1 week every 3 months) whereas the latter was given hydroxychloroquine (200 mg twice/wk orally). Alcohol abstinence was advised for all patients. Improvement of cutaneous signs was evident after 6 months in hydroxychloroquine-treated subjects and after 12 months in desferrioxamine-treated subjects. At the end of the 1-year clinical trial, significant decreases of serum iron and ferritin were found in all patients, irrespective of the therapy. Urinary total porphyrins were reduced significantly in both groups, but the drop was significantly more evident in hydroxychloroquine- than in desferrioxamine-treated subjects. After 1 year of therapy, 4 desferrioxamine-treated patients vs 16 hydroxychloroquine-treated subjects acquired a normal urinary porphyrin pattern. These results indicate that hydroxychloroquine is more effective than desferrioxamine in inducing clinical and biochemical remission of PCT. Accordingly, hydroxychloroquine should be the preferred alternative to phlebotomy, if the latter is contraindicated.

Adult↗

Hydroxychloroquine versus phlebotomy in the treatment of porphyria cutanea tarda.

Hydroxychloroquine and phlebotomy were compared in the treatment of porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT). Thirty patients received hydroxychloroquine (200 mg twice weekly) for 1 year and thirty-one underwent twice-monthly phlebotomies of 400 ml whole blood each, also for 1 year. Clinical signs of disease improved equally in both groups. At the end of the year, urinary porphyrin excretion had significantly improved in twenty-two out of thirty hydroxychloroquine-treated subjects, but in only eight out of the thirty-one patients who received phlebotomy. Liver histology showed significant regression of steatosis and siderosis in both groups compared with the pretrial biopsy, but the activity of liver disease, as judged by the extent of necrosis, inflammation and fibrosis, worsened in twelve hydroxychloroquine and in seven phlebotomy-treated patients. It is concluded that hydroxychloroquine is more effective than phlebotomy in decreasing porphyrin production. However, further work is needed to assess whether long-term hydroxychloroquine treatment favours the progression of the chronic liver disease associated with PCT.

Adult↗

[Behavior of basal values and circadian rhythm of ACTH, cortisol, PRL and GH in a high-protein diet].

Basal values and circadian rhythm of cortisol, ACTH, GH and PRL were studied in 8 normal subjects during a normal balanced caloric diet and during a high protein diet ( + 12% proteins ). GH, ACTH and cortisol levels were considerably higher following the protein rich diet probably on account of the metabolic processes directly related to the higher protein load.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

[Behavior of plasma cortisol during testing with insulin and with LVP in obese subjects compared to normal subjects after resperine administration].

The behaviour of plasma cortisol levels was studied in fifteen overweight subjects with comparison to normal subjects. In eight subjects the insulin hypoglycemic test was performed before and after medication with reserpine (4mg/24HR); the other seven subjects were tested with LVP before and after treatment with reserpine. In both cases, premedication with reserpine significantly reduce the cortisolemic response. This behaviour is similar to the response observed in normal subjects.

Humans↗

[Influence of haloperidol on blood cortisol response to lysine-8-vasopressin in normal subjects].

The investigations were done on ten normal subjects. The LVP test was performed before and after intravenous-infusion of Haloperidol (Img). The results show that haloperidol eliminates the cortisolemic response during stimulation with LVP; that is most likely, in relation to the specific blocking effect of this drug on dopaminergic receptors in the hypothalamus and on the hypothalamo-diencephalic pathways.

Haloperidol↗

[Scanning electron microscopy of the inner surface of small intestine in chick embryos].

The inner surface of the midgut of chicken embryos ageing between seven and fifteen days incubation has been examined by scanning electron microscope. In this period the surface of the mucous membrane undergoes significant morphological changes; in fact, while at seven days incubation it appears to be smooth and regular, in the following days it begins to show longitudinal folds increasingly higher, more numerous and complicated. Since eleven days incubation some folds take a zigzag appearance that progressively becomes more evident and extends to all the folds. In the mean time, the enterocytes undergo a gradual specialization and represent the only type of epithelial cells in this stage of development. Their apex until seven days incubation is dome-shaped, provided with short microvilli and separated from the surrounding cells by deep circular grooves. About thirteen days the apex appears to be less swollen, with longer and more numerous microvilli and bounded by microplicae arranged in an hexagonal disposition.

Animals↗

[Effects of amniotic fluid on the development of neoplastic tissue in organotypic culture].

In previous researches, it has been observed that the human amniotic fluid presents in vitro an antineoplasic action. 75% of the examined amniotic fluids contain an anti HCG principle. In order to evaluate if the effect of amniotic fluid is due to this principle, cultures of tumoral tissue have been performed, with the Wolff and Wolff's method, using media containing either positive amniotic fluid or negative amniotic fluid. Results obtained with positive amniotic fluid have confirmed the previous observations. A complete degeneration of both tumoral tissue and mesonephros was observed when the culture medium was enriched with negative amniotic fluid.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Phakomatosis pigmentovascularis: A new case with renal angiomas and some considerations about the classification.

We report phakomatosis pigmentovascularis detected in a Caucasian child characterized by the presence of a nevus flammeus and nevus anemicus on the face, a telangiectatic linear nevus of the right leg, and a very extensive blue spot covering 60% of the body surface, with ocular melanosis. Multiple angiomatous lesions of the kidney are associated without alterations of the central nervous system (CNS). This association has not been reported before; it could be a further expression of the complex of developmental defects. Our case corresponds exactly to type IIb in the classification of phakomatosis pigmentovascularis proposed by Hasegawa. As this classification seems very extensive, the higher incidence of cases corresponding to the second subtype suggests that we should identify it by the term phakomatosis pigmentovascularis, while the others could be considered as only very uncommon variants.

Facial Neoplasms↗

Effects of phlebotomy on urinary porphyrin pattern and liver histology in patients with porphyria cutanea tarda.

Urinary porphyrin profiles and liver histology have been investigated in a group of adult alcoholics with porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) before and after one year phlebotomy. Both parameters were evaluated during the same period in a group of patients who did not undergo specific therapy for PCT. All patients were advised to abstain from alcohol. At the end of the one year observation period there was a significant fall of urinary total porphyrins and in the uro/coproporphyrin ratio in treated patients compared to basal values whereas no changes were found in controls. Liver biopsy findings revealed a significant reduction of hepatic fatty degeneration and siderosis with no changes in inflammatory infiltrates and fibrosis in treated patients, so the progression of liver disease was similar to controls. These results show that clinical and biochemical remission of PCT can occur independently of the evolution of the concomitant liver disease.

Alcoholism↗