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Biomedical subjects

L Romano

Publications and source records attributed to L Romano.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

High-resolution computed tomography in cystic fibrosis.

The sensitivity of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in identifying the pulmonary lesions of cystic fibrosis (CF) was evaluated. Thirty-nine patients (16 males, 23 females; mean age 19.1 years) were examined by chest HRCT. According to Shwachman and Kulczycki criteria, the clinical score of the patients ranged from 40 to 95, thus covering most possible variations of lung disease severity. All the patients presented diffuse thickening of bronchial walls, expression of the characteristic CF bronchial inflammation. Bronchiectases were the second most common lung lesions: discrete dilatation of bronchi was observed in 87% of cases; the localization, pattern and extent of bronchiectasis were accurately detected by HRCT. Pleural thickening and hilar adenopathy were frequently identified (in 64% and 82% of the patients, respectively). Bronchoceles were seen in 64% of the patients; atelectasis (33%) and subpleural bullous dystrophic emphysema (28%) were observed less frequently. On HRCT, the localization of the disease processes within the secondary pulmonary lobule was possible in all patients. In agreement with international literature, the identification of these lesions confirms HRCT as the more sensitive technique for early visualization and location of the manifestations of CF bronchopathy. A larger range of experience coming from a systematic use of HRCT in chronic inflammatory lung diseases would increase our knowledge of pathogenetic processes and allow improvement of therapeutic perspectives.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

The inhibitory effect of anthranilate derivatives on HCO3-/Cl- exchange in red blood cells of human, pigeon and trout.

All ten of anthranilate derivatives were found to be inhibitors of HCO3-/Cl- exchange in human, trout and pigeon red blood cells. The individual l50 values covered a range of 2-3 orders of magnitude for human, trout and pigeon RBCs. The results obtained confirm that the anion transporting region of the band 3 protein in human, trout and pigeon red blood cells are highly preserved even though the RBCs belong to animals living in entirely different habitats. However, in spite of the general similarities, significant differences between human trout and pigeon red blood cells could be observed. They could be attributed to differences of the hydrophobic character of the various probes.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Anemia and chronic renal failure: a therapeutical approach by reduced glutathione parenteral administration.

Authors report on the effect of reduced glutathione parenterally administered on the anemic status in patients suffering from chronic renal failure and undergoing hemodialysis. Twenty patients were studied for 180 days and were divided into two age- and sex-matched groups. The first group (10 patients) received placebo, the second group (10 patients) received the treatment (1,200 mg of reduced glutathione). Reduced glutathione and placebo were given for 120 days in a randomized double-blind fashion and the following measurements were performed: red blood cells reduced and oxidized glutathione, plasma reduced and oxidized glutathione, hematocrit, hemoglobin, reticulocytes, serum iron, transferrin, indirect bilirubin, urea, creatinine, calcium, phosphate, parathyroid hormone and alkaline phosphatase. In the treated group, during the supplementation period, there was an increase in the levels of red blood cells and plasma reduced glutathione, hematocrit and hemoglobin and a concomitant decrease in plasma oxidized glutathione and reticulocytes with a maximum effect on the 120th day of therapy. In the placebo-treated group there were no significant variations of the parameters considered during the study period. When the therapy, on patients undergoing treatment, was terminated there was a drop in the analyzed parameters, which fell to pretreatment values at the subsequent controls. These findings seem to indicate that reduced glutathione could represent a useful drug in the treatment and management of anemia in patients affected by chronic renal failure.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[High-resolution computerized tomography. Staging of lobular lesions in cystic fibrosis].

Forty-four patients affected with cystic fibrosis (CF) were examined by means of high-resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) of the chest; the sensitivity of this technique was evaluated in identifying small pulmonary structure alterations, and its role outlined. In all cases, HRCT scans allowed early lobular shape anomalies to be detected and secondary pulmonary lobular lesions to be correlated with disease evolution. A classification for lobular lesions was proposed: Stage I - Thickening of the bronchovascular bundle and/or intralobular septa and/or middle interstitial compartment. Unessential changes in lobular ventilation. Preservation of lobular shape. Stage II - Intralobular emphysema. Acinar filling with normal ventilation (A) or diffuse hypoventilation of the lobule (B). Preservation of lobular shape. Stage III - Lobular consolidations. Preservation of lobular shape. Stage IV - Patch distribution of lesions characterized by derangement of lobular structures. Changes in normal lobular shape. The identification of these lesions confirms HRCT as the most sensitive technique for the early visualization and localization of signs of CF bronchopneumonopathy. A broader experience coming from the systematic use of HRCT in chronic inflammatory lung diseases would increase our knowledge of pathogenetic processes and allow therapeutic perspectives to be improved.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis: possibility of radiologic diagnosis].

The incidence of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is increasing in the patients with malignant hematologic diseases; this occurs in the phase of granulocytopenia induced by chemotherapy. In these cases an early diagnosis is mandatory to start a prompt antimycotic treatment. The authors reviewed the personal series of 56 patients with malignant hematologic diseases who, in the phase of granulocytopenia, developed a pulmonary lesion: 32/56 with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis; 8/56 with Candida and 16/56 with bacterial infection. All patients underwent several conventional radiologic controls: 9 cases with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis were also studied with Computed Tomography (CT). After a short pathologic introduction, the conventional radiologic and CT patterns of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis are analyzed, both at onset and over its evolutive phase. The most significant feature for an early conventional radiologic diagnosis is the nodular pattern--single or multiple--; this allowed a correct diagnosis, at onset, of 20/32 (62%) invasive pulmonary aspergillosis cases. CT provided a further diagnostic contribution by showing a peri-nodular halo. Of interest was also the CT demonstration of high-density pleural thickening adjacent to the mycotic lesion, probably due to fungal involvement of the sub-pleural space. The routine chest roentgenogram is the modality of choice; CT may be useful in questionable cases.

Aspergillosis↗
PubMed1992

[The use of ofloxacin in cystic fibrosis patients].

The new quinolones represent the latest possibility of specific oral antibiotic treatment of infections caused by gram-negative bacteria. Among the new quinolones, ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin are characterized by strong in vitro activity against most Pseudomonas species strains, favourable kinetic in body fluids, good tolerability and the possibility of oral administration. For these reasons they appear to be ideal antibiotics for long-term home therapy of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in cystic fibrosis (CF). The efficacy of ciprofloxacin has been recently assessed. In this study, actual effectiveness of ofloxacin in long-term home antibiotic treatment of patients affected by CF was evaluated. The study was a no-blind cross-over study, designed to compare ofloxacin treatment with conventional oral antibiotic therapy. Young adult patients, who needed long-term antibiotic therapy and whom sputum culture were positive for sensitive strains, were randomly assigned to 2 groups. One group received ofloxacin, the other group was given a non-quinolone oral antibiotic, selected according to sputum culture sensitivity. Oral antibiotics were administered for 20 days, then a break of 10 days was allowed during which patients received nebulized aminoglucosides, usually tobramycin. After 3 months, therapies were rotated: the first group received a non-quinolone oral antibiotic and the second group received ofloxacin for another 3 months. The clinical score (according to Huang et al., see table I) and the lung function (FVC, FEV1, pulsed SaO2) were assessed in all the patients at the beginning and at the end of each three months period of oral antibiotic therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Familial defective apo B-100, characterization of an Italian family.

Familial defective apolipoprotein (apo) B-100 is a genetic disorder presenting with hypercholesterolaemia and abnormal low-density lipoprotein (LDL) that binds poorly to LDL receptors. This disease appears to be caused by a mutation in the apo B-100 gene. In the present study thirteen members of a family with moderate hypercholesterolaemia (250-350 mg dl-1) were investigated. Biochemical studies on cultured skin fibroblasts ruled out classical familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH, receptor deficiency). We then studied the interaction between LDL and their receptors by an in vitro cell binding assay. LDL from nine affected members displayed a reduced affinity (2.5-fold) for the receptor, and were less effective than LDL from control and unaffected members in suppressing LDL receptor expression and in stimulating cholesterol esterification. LDL from the affected members had normal electrophoretic mobility, size and chemical composition. Partial delipidation did not modify the LDL binding defect. The disorder is transmitted over three generations as an autosomal codominant trait and all the affected members are heterozygotes and hypercholesterolaemics. Analysis of DNA from family members showed a point mutation leading to an Arg to Gln substitution at amino acid 3500 of the mature protein that segregated with hypercholesterolaemia and LDL defective binding. We conclude that this family is affected by familial defective apolipoprotein B-100 (FDB).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Kinetics of antibody response to hepatitis B virus determinants and to recombinant vaccines in Italy.

The kinetics of antibody response to the group determinant a and subdeterminants d and y of hepatitis B virus were studied after infection and following immunisation with two recombinant DNA yeast-derived hepatitis B vaccines. The initial antibody response was to the subdeterminant epitopes, whereas anti-a antibody, which provides protection against different subtypes of the virus, was not detected for some weeks or months. The delay in the development of anti-a antibody after active immunisation raises important issues of early protection against infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Frequency of the delta F508 mutation in a sample of 175 Italian cystic fibrosis patients.

A sample of 175 Italian cystic fibrosis patients has been analysed for the presence of the delta F508 mutation. The frequency of this mutation among 137 patients with pancreatic insufficiency is equal to 57%; in 23 patients with pancreatic sufficiency it is 26%. A high proportion of the unknown mutations is associated with the same rare haplotype found in association with delta F508, suggesting that at least another mutation occurred on a chromosome characterized by the same haplotype.

Chromosome Deletion↗
PubMed1990

Yeast-derived hepatitis B vaccine in dental students. A three-year follow-up study.

Sixty health adults (56 dental students and four post-graduates of the Dental Faculty in Milan; mean age 26.4 years, range 22-42 years) were vaccinated with a recombinant DNA vaccine (Engerix B, Smith Kline and French; 20 micrograms given i.m. at time 0, 1 and 6 months). One month after the third injection, 98.3% (59/60) vaccinees showed anti-HBs at levels higher than 10 mIU ml-1 (geometric mean titre 734.8 mIU ml-1). One year after the beginning of vaccination (i.e. 6 months after the third injection of vaccine), 46 vaccinees showed anti-HBs titre higher than 100 mIU ml-1 (24 between 100 and 1000 mIU ml-1 and 22 higher than 1000 mIU ml-1) and 14 vaccinees had anti-HBs below 100 mIU ml-1 (12 between 10 and 99 mIU ml-1 and 2 below 10 mIU ml-1). Since duration of antibody is directly related to the height of the initial response, the 14 vaccinees with lower anti-HBs titres were given a fourth dose of vaccine. All boosted vaccinees showed a vigorous anti-HBs response and the post-booster anti-HBs GMT increased to 1570 mIU ml-1 compared with 47.8 mIU ml-1 attained before the boosting injection. At three years from the beginning of vaccination, all vaccinees who showed anti-HBs titres higher than 100 mIU ml-1 after the primary vaccination and all but one of the boosted vaccinees were still anti-HBs positive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Effects of enalapril on renal parameters in patients with primary glomerulopathies associated with chronic renal failure.

14 patients (8 male, 6 female), aged 35 to 64 years, with glomerulopathies consisting of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (GN) [n = 6], membranous GN (n = 3), focal and diffuse glomerulosclerosis (n = 4), and post-streptococcal GN (n = 1) were studied. Diagnosis was established by renal biopsy in 12 of the 14 patients. All 14 patients had impaired renal function (creatinine clearance = 25 to 55 ml/min) and proteinuria (1.0 to 10.4 g/day). Five normotensive patients received enalapril 20 mg/day, whereas 9 patients with hypertension received 20 to 40 mg/day to control blood pressure. Diuretics were administered concomitantly to 8 patients. Patients attended the clinic every 14 days for 30 months and their diets were closely monitored, with sodium intake limited to between 50 and 100 mEq/day and protein to between 1.0 and 1.2 g/kg/day. Blood pressure was significantly controlled in the patients with hypertension. Serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine clearance and 24-hour urinary protein excretion all significantly improved during the 30-month study. No adverse clinical events were noted. Thus, over a period of time, enalapril therapy may improve the prognosis of patients with glomerulonephritis by maintaining glomerular filtration rates and decreasing proteinuria and blood pressure.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

New restriction fragment length polymorphism (probe E9) reveals the highest linkage disequilibrium in Italian CF patients.

We report that the allele distribution for RFLP's flanking the CF gene differs between patients with and without pancreatic insufficiency. The present study confirms this difference. In both classes the linkage disequilibrium (LD) is highest with the RFLP revealed by probe E9. The haplotype distribution identified by these RFLP's can be used for indirect carrier detection.

Cystic Fibrosis↗