Biomedical subjects

L Toffolo

Publications and source records attributed to L Toffolo.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Flow cytometric reticulocyte counting. Parallel evaluation of five fully automated analyzers: an NCCLS-ICSH approach.

We performed a parallel evaluation of 5 automated reticulocyte analyzers. The guidelines were those proposed by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards and the International Council for Standardisation in Haematology. Duplicate analyses were performed for 225 healthy subjects and 115 patients affected by various diseases. The reference intervals were different for each method (ADVIA 120, 27-125 x 10(3)/microL [27-125 x 10(9)/L]; CELL DYN 4000, 25-108 x 10(3)/microL [25-108 x 10(9)/L]; GEN-S, 20-85 x 10(3)/microL [20-85 x 10(9)/L]; SE 9500 RET, 23-95 x 10(3)/microL [23-95 x 10(9)/L]; and VEGA RETIC, 30-130 x 10(3)/microL [30-130 x 10(9)/L]). The comparisons of percentage counts with the microscopic reference method were satisfactory for all automated methods. However, a tendency to overestimate at low counts was noted. This progressively increased from the SE 9500 RET to the VEGA RETIC. The imprecision was excellent for all the methods at normal and high concentrations. This was higher at low concentrations. When compared with the microscopic reference, the analyzers showed satisfactory sensitivity at low counts and excellent sensitivity at high counts. The overall agreement varied from 74.8% for the GEN-S to 86.1% for the SE 9500 RET.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

[Detection of anti-ENA autoantibodies in patients with systemic connective tissue diseases. Analytical variability and diagnostic sensitivity of 4 methods].

This study was designed to assess the analytical sensitivity and rate of agreement between commercial methods and reagents, among the most used in Italy for the detection of autoantibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (ENA). Sixty-eight serum samples from patients with clinically diagnosed systemic rheumatic diseases were aliquoted and distributed to 4 hospital laboratories; three ELISA (Elias, Shield, Inova) and 1 immunoblot method (Euroimmun) were used. Overall agreement between the test reagents, for each anti-ENA specificity, was 69.1% for Ro/SSA, 83.3% for La/SSB, 70.6% for RNP, 73.5% for Sm, 91.1% for Jo1, and 82.3% for Scl70. Lack of specificity (i.e., false positive reactions) was the most important cause of low concordance. When the data were analysed according to the clinical diagnosis, total agreement and specificity improved. However, a significant difference in terms of sensitivity was observed in the SLE group (30 sera) for RNP (positivity ranged from 20% to 43%) and for Sm (from 7% to 37%), and in the Sjögren's syndrome group (13 sera) for anti-La/SSB (from 8% to 38%). Comparable data were obtained for anti-Ro/SSA (from 70% to 77%) both in the SLE and the Sjögren's syndrome group. Sensitivity of all 4 reagents was good in detecting anti-Scl70 autoantibodies in the 8 patients with diffuse systemic sclerosis, as well as anti-Jo1 autoantibody in the 5 polymyositis patients, with a 100% and a 95% agreement, respectively. These data suggest the need of a better standardization of commercial reagents and analytical procedures, and the opportunity that every laboratory should perform anti-ENA determination by at least two different methods, since none of the methods tested was completely reliable in detecting all anti-ENA autoantibody specificities.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗

PubMed1990

Clinical significance of cholelithiasis in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.

There is general agreement that the prevalence of gallstones in cirrhotics is high (at least twice that in the general population), but the pathogenetic link between cirrhosis and cholelithiasis is still uncertain. The influence of cholelithiasis on survival in cirrhotics is also unknown. During an 8-year period, we observed 90 patients affected by decompensated cirrhosis: 36 of them (40%) turned out by cholecystographic/cholangiographic or ultrasonographic examination to have cholelithiasis. We were not able to demonstrate any correlation between cholelithiasis and sex, age of patients, etiology of cirrhosis, severity of the illness, degree of portal hypertension, previous gastrointestinal bleeding, number of pregnancies, or levels of serum cholesterol, bilirubin, and triglycerides. During the follow-up observation, (range, 1-91 months), 30 patients died. Survival curves analyzed by the log-rank test did not show any difference between patients with or without gallstones. We therefore confirm that cirrhosis is a lithogenic condition, but we were not able to explain the reasons for the close relationship between cholelithiasis and cirrhosis. Gallstones, however, did not affect the survival of these patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Normal fibronectin levels after surgical treatment of portal hypertension in liver cirrhosis.

We found a significantly higher plasma fibronectin concentration in a group of nine cirrhotic patients who underwent surgical treatment for portal hypertension (either shunting and non shunting procedures) when compared to twenty non operated patients. Significantly shorter prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time in the operated patients were found as well. These results might be related to an increased breakdown of fibronectin during consumption coagulopathy taking place in the extended collaterals and reversed in part by surgical treatment of portal hypertension complicating liver cirrhosis.

Blood Coagulation Tests↗

PubMed1988

Fibronectin decrease in liver cirrhosis is related to spleen size.

We found a significantly lower plasma fibronectin concentration in cirrhotic patients than in controls, a significant inverse relationship between fibronectin and spleen size, but no correlation between fibronectin and hepatic blood flow, prothrombin time, or serum albumin. We suggest that the increased degradation in the enlarged spleen is more relevant than the decreased synthesis in reducing plasma fibronectin levels during liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension.

Adult↗