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Biomedical subjects

L Vicentini

Publications and source records attributed to L Vicentini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

T-cell phenotypic profiles in the cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral blood of multiple sclerosis patients.

Thirty-nine patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS) entered the study. Of 28 subjects with a relapsing-remitting course, 19 were classified in acute relapse, 9 in remission; 11 patients had a progressive course without remissions. Furthermore, 6 subjects with inflammatory neurological disease (IND), and 10 with non-inflammatory and non-neoplastic neurological disease (NIND) were investigated. We simultaneously studied cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood (PB) T-, B- and NK-cell subsets, as defined by following monoclonal antibodies: anti-CD3, -CD4, -CD8, -CD19, -CD16, -HLA-DR and -IL-2-R. We found a significant increase of CD4+ T-cells compared with controls in CSF, with respect to PB, of MS patients, particularly in acute relapse. An increase of HLA-DR+ cell percentages in the CSF than in the PB in all MS groups, especially in attacks of MS but also in remission, was also observed, with a positive correlation between CD4+ T-cell and DR+ cell percentages both in the CSF as well as in the PB of relapsing MS patients. These findings, together with the increase of IL-2-R+ cells in the PB, particularly in relapsing MS, give further support for the presence of a systemic T-cell activation in MS.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Comparative evaluation of RAST and MAST-CLA for six allergens for the diagnosis of inhalant allergic disease in 232 patients.

The aim of this study was to compare a recent multiple allergosorbent chemiluminescent assay (MAST-CLA) with the RAST for the diagnosis of inhalant allergic disease in 232 patients with rhinitis and/or bronchial asthma. As judged by concordance of clinical history, skin prick tests to a range of six allergens common to our geographic area, and by nasal provocation tests, 70 patients were non-allergic and 162 allergic: 70 to grasses, 46 to mites, four to mugwort, eight to pellitory, and 34 were sensitive to several allergens. In our patient sample that, among other things, comprises subjects with fairly rare monoallergies, MAST-CLA testing gave results which closely corresponded to positive RAST for the allergens studied, and demonstrated a close correlation with the diagnosis of inhalant-specific allergy. Our results showed that, for overall allergens, MAST-CLA was lightly less sensitive and more specific than RAST (the two in vitro tests gave an identical overall efficiency).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Does intravenous streptokinase therapy facilitate the formation of anti-heart antibodies in acute myocardial infarction?

Streptokinase (SK), a nonenzymatic protein produced by group C beta haemolytic streptococci, is a potent antigen. It is used worldwide as a thrombolytic agent in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Specific antiheart antibodies (AHA) have been found with a significantly high incidence in patients with AMI, and after streptococcal infection as a result of stimulation by constituents of the group A streptococci antigenically cross-reactive with sarcolemmal portion of the muscle fiber of the heart. Since there may be partial antigenic identity of group C streptococcal membranes with membranes isolated from group A streptococci, we have designed a prospective study to evaluate the incidence of serum AHA (and of other organ-specific and non-organ-specific antibodies) in 36 patients with AMI, 14 of whom treated with SK. AHA, of IgG class, were of the sarcolemmal-subsarcolemmal type, and did not fix complement. They were found in 4/36 patients already on admission; of the 32 patients negative, none developed AHA later, on days 7, 15 and 21 of hospitalization, also after treatment with SK (in 14 cases). There was no significant difference either within or between the two SK-treated and non-SK-treated groups also with regard to the incidence of organ-specific and non-organ-specific autoantibodies. These findings do suggest that the intravenous SK therapy does not facilitate the formation of AHA in AMI.

Antibody Formation↗
PubMed1989

Correlation of MAST chemiluminescent assay (CLA) with RAST and skin prick tests for diagnosis of inhalant allergic disease.

The purpose of this study was to compare the new multiple allergosorbent chemiluminescent assay (MAST CLA) system with the RAST and skin prick tests as an adjunct to the diagnosis of inhalant allergies. In this report, MAST CLA and RAST have given similar results, but no technique is as sensitive as skin tests for allergen-specific diagnosis of inhalant allergic disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

[Culture from peritoneal drainage as an indicator of active infection].

The present retrospective study reports the results of a survey conducted on 130 patients given elective abdominal and urinary surgery together with the cultivation of routine intraperitoneal drainage material. The parameters considered were the type of pathology, the condition of the wound, any serohaematic material drained, the presence and duration of postoperative temperature increases and pre and post-operative leukocytosis levels. These parameters were considered in relation to the positive or negative results of the cultural examination. The aim was to demonstrate that routine drainage causes no appreciable infective or mechanical complications.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1986

[Serum immunoconglutinin in patients with a respiratory allergy syndrome, before and after specific immunotherapy].

Immunoconglutinins (Ic) are a group of predominantly IgM antibodies formed towards antigenic determinants exposed in fixed complement components (C3b and C4). Ic production is stimulated by bacterial and viral infections; elevated titers were also found in a number of other diseases involving completement-fixing reactions in vivo. High titers have been associated with the infectious morbidity within a particular population. The object of this investigation was to determine the correlations of autostimulated Ic titre with several parameters in 100 atopic nondesensitized subjects with respiratory allergies and in 140 non atopic, healthy, individuals. Eighty of them had rhinitis and/or conjunctivitis, 9 asthma and 11 rhinitis and asthma. All the atopics were studied also after at least 6 months of specific immunotherapy. None of the subjects received any other therapy at the time of study. Atopic subjects with high titers of Ic are significantly more numerous than controls, without significant correlation with the kind and beginning of atopic syndrome, and with immunotherapy. These results might be attributed to a higher incidence of infections in the atopic population. The Ic might play an important role in the immunoregulation involving complement system.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

[Non-secretory plasmacytoma. Bibliographic review and immunohistochemical study of a case].

After a brief examination of the recent literature on non-secretory multiple myeloma, the Authors describe the immunohistologic study (peroxidase-antiperoxidase method) of a case of truly non producing plasmacytoma, interesting because of the presence of a small polyclonal plasma cell population within the neoplastic clone. Several possible explanations are considered.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

[Plasma cell leukemia. Bibliographic review and ultrastructural study (by transmission and scanning electron microscopy) in 2 cases].

After a brief examination of the recent literature on plasma cell leukemia, the Authors describe the clinical features and the ultrastructural findings of the peripheral blood plasma cells, examined with transmission (T.E.M.) and scanning (S.E.M.) electron microscopes, of two patients with acute plasma cell leukemia. Both of them had a previous history of myeloma. T.E.M. confirmed the diagnostic value of the asynchronous plasma cells, and S.E.M. showed the characteristic microvilli and blebs, previously observed.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

[Autoantibodies and respiratory allergy: immunologic case study].

Sera obtained from 212 patients with rhinopathy and/or asthma of allergic origin (pollens and/or mites) and from 87 apparently healthy controls were studied for the presence of organ and non organ specific autoantibodies. These were determined by indirect immunofluorescence techniques (5) using test tissue from monkeys (thyroid) and rats (stomach, liver and kidney). Two groups were matched for age and sex and the tests were performed using the double-blind method. The incidence observed was not dissimilar to that detected in healthy subjects, with the exclusion of smooth-muscle antibodies. These were present to a lesser extent in patients with respiratory allergies (0.94%) in contrast with the incidence of 5.73% in normal subjects (P less than 0.01). On the basis of our findings, it seems possible to hypothesize that allergic patients have a lesser tendency to autoimmune diseases because the immune system is committed to the IgE-mediated immunoreactions. In conclusion, autoantibodies do not seem to play a role in the pathogenesis of respiratory allergies to inhaled allergens.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

[Hypocholesterolemia in multiple myeloma. Inverse relation to the component M and the clinical stage].

The following parameters were studied in 41 Durie & Salmon staged patients with multiple myeloma: M component, bone lesions, marrow plasma cell %, Hb, leukocytes/mm3, lymphocytes/mm3, platelets/mm3, blood calcium, serum albumin, blood creatinine, BUN, total blood cholesterol. Linear correlation was adopted for the relation between two variables, using Pearson's coefficient, and Student's t test for unpaired data for comparison between the means. A significant (slight to excellent) inverse correlation was noted between total blood cholesterol and the M component. There was also a significant difference between the 1st and 2nd stage of the disease in this respect (P less than 0.05), between the 1st and 3rd (P less than 0.01), and between the 1st and the 2nd and 3rd combined (P less than 0.01). Progress of the disease appears to result in a fall in blood cholesterol. This parameter may be of assistance in differentiating slow-progressing forms from the more aggressive forms requiring treatment. The reasons for this change are discussed. Since cholesterol is an essential part of the cell membranes, attention is given to theories postulating a disorder in intracellular membrane metabolism.

Blood Platelets↗