PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M A Cimmino

Publications and source records attributed to M A Cimmino.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Validity and reliability of an Italian version of the revised Leeds disability questionnaire for patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to produce an Italian version of the Revised Leeds Disability Questionnaire (LDQ) in a group of patients with ankylosing spondylitis, and to examine the psychometric properties of this version, evaluating its internal consistency, external validity and reliability. METHODS: The LDQ was administered to 60 Caucasian patients affected by ankylosing spondylitis (50 males, 10 females, mean age 46.1 +/- 14.2 yr, range 22-74, median disease duration 4.5 yr, range 1-24) together with the Italian version of the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and anthropometric measurements. Thirty patients completed the questionnaire after a 10-day interval. Internal consistency was evaluated with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of reliability. Construct validity of the LDQ was evaluated using the correlation between the HAQ and anthropometric measurements. Test-retest reliability was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS: All patients completed the validation study. The questionnaire was internally consistent (alpha=0.90). A significant correlation was recorded between the LDQ and the HAQ score (rho=0.841, P<0.01) and the anthropometric measurements. Test-retest reliability showed a good correlation coefficient (intraclass correlation=0.97). CONCLUSION: The Italian LDQ is a valid and reliable instrument for detecting and measuring functional disability in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Our results confirm the utility of this questionnaire as a valid and feasible functional measure for patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Methodology of an epidemiologic prevalence study in rheumatology: the Chiavari study].

OBJECTIVES: Goals of epidemiological studies are the description of the measures of frequency of diseases, the attempt to clarify possible etiopathogenic mechanisms, and the provision of data to support health policy decisions. To increase the familiarity of rheumatologists toward epidemiology, we describe the methodology used in a prevalence study of musculoskeletal complaints performed in Chiavari, Italy. METHODS: A questionnaire, originally developed by the Epidemiology Unit of the Arthitis Research Council in Manchester, UK, to investigate the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis, was used after translation and validation. 4456 subjects aged 16 years or more listed in four general practices were invited to participate in the study and to fill the ARC questionnaire. The 3294 responders reported a) any past occurrence of joint swelling lasting more than four weeks and the distribution of the swollen joints on a mannequin; b) any joint pain lasting more than four weeks; c) current joint pain or swelling; d) morning stiffness; e) whether they had been previously told by a doctor they had arthritis. RESULTS: Four steps were necessary to obtain a 74% response, i.e. direct contact, two mailings and a phone interview. The performance of the different questions was good. The prevalence of the most common conditions among patients answering positively to the questions regarding morning stiffness and symmetrical swelling of joints was as follows: osteoarthritis 2.60%, fibromyalgia 1.30%, carpal tunnel syndrome 1.14%, rheumatoid arthritis 0.31%, and psoriatic arthritis 0.10%. CONCLUSIONS: Methodological issues regarding the selection of the population and sample to study, the development of a questionnaire, and the problems in obtaining valid informations are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Presenting features of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and rheumatoid arthritis with PMR-like onset: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate in a prospective study whether patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with PMR-like onset show distinctive clinical and laboratory features. METHODS: A cohort of 116 consecutive patients with bilateral girdle pain for at least one month and raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was studied and followed up for 12 months. Laboratory tests included determination of ESR, IgM rheumatoid factor, haemoglobin, white blood cell count, platelet count, percentage of CD8 lymphocytes, serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and glutamyltransferase concentrations. RESULTS: At first examination, RA was diagnosed in 22/116 (19%) patients and PMR in 94 (81%) patients. During the follow up period, 19 additional patients developed RA, and the diagnosis of PMR was confirmed in 65 (56%) patients at the end of the study. Of the clinical and laboratory features, only the presence of peripheral synovitis could differentiate patients who will develop RA from those with "true" PMR, but the positive predictive value of this feature was poor. CONCLUSION: At present, there are no clinical or routine laboratory features allowing early differentiation between PMR and RA with PMR-like onset.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Extra-articular manifestations in 587 Italian patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the frequency of extra-articular manifestations (EAMs) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a series of patients from nine Italian rheumatology clinics. A total of 587 patients underwent direct questioning, complete physical evaluation, and review of medical records and laboratory data. The relationships between EAMs and the eosinophilic count, IgM rheumatoid factor (RF), and antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were studied. EAMs were present in 240/587 (40.9%) patients. The most common features were sicca syndrome (17.5%) and rheumatoid nodules (16.7%). EAMs were significantly more frequent in male patients (OR = 1.68), patients with ANA positivity (OR = 2.82), high anatomical class (OR = 2.3), and rheumatoid factor seropositivity (OR = 2.22). EAMs were more common in patients from southern Italy than in those from northern Italy (P < 0.001). EAMs seem to be rarer in Italy than in the Anglo-Saxon populations of northern Europe and the USA. Differences in prevalence of EAMs can exist even within the same country.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

An appraisal of magnetic resonance imaging of the wrist in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis, staging, and follow-up of the rheumatoid wrist. METHODS: A Medline search was performed to identify all publications from the years 1985 to 1999 concerning MRI of the wrist in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Additional papers were retrieved by scanning the references to the Medline-listed articles. Details of the MRI technique, as well as clinical data, were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: A total of 55 papers were identified. There were considerable variations in imaging sequence, section type, and slice thickness. Erosions and synovitis were the conditions that mostly profited from the adoption of MRI. Although the visualization of erosions was better detailed with MRI than with conventional radiography, erosions were only rarely related to clinical and laboratory parameters. Another advantage was that synovitis imaging, which can be enhanced by contrast agents, was amenable to quantitation. The extent of the synovial surface and the rate of contrast enhancement in a series of consecutive, rapidly acquired images were the most common measures. CONCLUSIONS: MRI of the rheumatoid wrist is a useful technique to ascertain the criteria for diagnosis and progression of RA, and to monitor the effects of treatment. Implementation of a standardized protocol could further increase its value.

Ankylosis↗
PubMed1999

Impact assessment of oncology research in the European Union.

In this study the distribution of papers published by authors from the European Union (EU) in oncological journals was analysed, as was the impact of oncological research in the EU compared with that produced in other countries. Papers published during 1995 in the oncological journals listed by ISI (Institute for Scientific Information, Philadelphia, U.S.A.) were downloaded. The parameters of impact factor (IF), source country population and gross domestic product (GDP) were considered. An analysis of the key words, both those reported by the authors and those attributed by ISI, was carried out using a special purpose program. 36.5% of papers published in oncological journals come from the EU (the U.K., Italy, Germany and France ranking at the top) and 40.7% from the U.S.A. The mean IF was 2.4 for EU papers, 3.3 for the US and 2.4 for other countries. Our data confirm that smaller countries performed better than larger ones. The key words analysis shows that the leading fields of research were breast cancer for diseases, cisplatin for drugs and p53 for experimental studies. A standardisation of key words on behalf of journal editors is proposed.

Economics↗
PubMed1998

Effect of one-month treatment with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on gastric pH of rheumatoid arthritis patients.

The use of NSAIDs is strongly associated with peptic ulceration. The inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis with the consequent increase of gastric acidity is considered a possible mechanism. Therefore we decided to assess the effect of one-month treatment with NSAIDs on the circadian gastric pH of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. We studied 11 consecutive patients (one man and 10 women, median age 55, range 26-72 years) with confirmed RA. None was H. pylori positive. A 24-hr gastric pH recording was performed both in basal conditions and after one-month treatment with either indomethacin 150 mg/day (eight cases) or ketoprofen 300 mg/day (three cases). Only the 10 female patients were eligible for final analysis, and six matched healthy subjects not taking NSAIDs were used as control group. The number of 24-hr pH readings for various pH thresholds was calculated for both populations. The highest acid levels (pH < 3.0) did not differ between the two pH profiles of the control group (7440 vs 7391, P = NS), while they predominated after the one-month NSAID treatment (10,339 vs 11,440, P < 0.001) in RA patients. These findings show that there is an increased gastric acidity after one-month of treatment with NSAIDs in female patients with RA of recent onset. This may sustain the rationale of using antisecretory agents to prevent gastroduodenal ulcerations in these patients.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1998

An overview of rheumatological research in the European Union.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the distribution and scope of papers published by authors from the European Union (EU) in rheumatological journals and the impact of rheumatological research in the EU in comparison with that produced elsewhere. METHODS: Papers published during the year 1995 in the 17 rheumatological journals screened by ISI were considered. The journal impact factor (IF) was noted. All key words, both those reported by the authors and those attributed by ISI, were identified and their frequency was calculated using a special purpose program. RESULTS: 2331 papers were published in the rheumatological literature during 1995. Of them, 1316 (56.5%) came from the EU (29.4% from the UK, 17.4% from France, 11.5% from Germany, and 10.8% from Italy) and 544 (23.3%) from the USA. The mean IF of EU papers was approximately 2 in comparison with 3.5 for the USA and 2.4 for other countries. In 1995, 2680 key words attributed by the authors and 5651 attributed by ISI appeared in the rheumatological literature. Less than a quarter of them was cited more than twice. The leading key words were rheumatoid arthritis for diseases and methotrexate for drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Bibliometric findings are useful to follow research trends. These data show the relevance of EU rheumatological research and the high scientific production of small countries. Dispersion of key words should be avoided and journal editors should promote their standardisation.

Databases, Bibliographic↗
PubMed1998

Prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in Italy: the Chiavari Study.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in an Italian general population. METHODS: The study was performed in the years 1991-92 in Chiavari, a small town located on the Ligurian coast, and involved 4456 subjects aged 16 years or more from four general practices. The subjects received a postal questionnaire developed to detect patients with current or past inflammatory joint diseases. The age and sex distribution of the sample were similar to those of the Italian population from the 1992 census. Patients reporting a history of joint swelling in at least a pair of symmetrical joints were reviewed by a rheumatologist. The clinical records of non-responders and responders who failed to attend the clinic were also reviewed. RESULTS: 3294 of 4456 (73.9%) subjects answered to the questionnaire. The mean (SD) age of the 3294 responders was 48.3 (19.3) years; 53.7% of them were female. Swelling in at least two symmetrical joints was reported by 230 subjects (7%). Among them, 11 patients fulfilling the 1987 ARA criteria for RA were identified. The prevalence of RA was 0.33% (95% CI 0.13, 0.53) in the general population, 0.13% (95% CI 0, 0.31) in men, and 0.51% (95% CI 0.18, 0.84) in women. CONCLUSIONS: These data are consistent with the results of three earlier studies published in the fifties in the Italian literature and confirm that the prevalence of RA is low in Italy and has remained unchanged in the last 40 years.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Recognition and management of bacterial arthritis.

Bacterial arthritis is a bacterial infection of the joint. Apart from the classical gonococcal arthritis, nongonococcal arthritides include specific forms such as mycobacterial or Borrelia burgdorferi arthritis. Almost any bacterium can cause arthritis, provided that the route of penetration and the host response are suitable. Weakening of the host's immune competence, pre-existing joint damage and invasive diagnostic or therapeutic procedures are the main risk factors for bacterial arthritis. Gram-positive cocci are the species most frequently involved. The pathogenesis of bacterial damage includes release of toxins, cell production of cytokines and autoimmune reactions to specific antigens. The diagnosis can be suspected clinically put must be confirmed by culture of the synovial fluid, a test which can be complemented by scintigraphy. Amplification of bacterial DNA by polymerase chain reaction is a new procedure that could become an important tool for quick diagnosis. Treatment is based on joint drainage and antibiotics, which should be started as soon as the diagnosis is suspected. Corollary strategies under investigation include corticosteroids to prevent joint damage, monoclonal antibodies to arthritogenic peptides of bacteria or to surface markets of host lymphocytes, and modulators of synovial fluid cytokines.

Animals↗