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M Cellini

Publications and source records attributed to M Cellini.

53 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Detection of mucus glycoconjugates in human conjunctiva by using the lectin-colloidal gold technique in TEM. II. A quantitative study in dry-eye patients.

The mucus glycoconjugates produced by conjunctival goblet cells in dry-eye patients were studied by a specific cytochemical reaction in Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Four lectins, proteins of vegetal origin which specifically bind glycosidic residues, (WGA, PNA, SBA and ConA) were used conjugated with colloidal gold as ultrastructural marker. We performed a quantitative analysis by counting the colloidal gold particles present on mucus granules. The results were compared with normal conditions. We found a decrease in sialic acid, N-acetyl-glucosamine, N-acetyl-galactosamine and galactose-N-acetyl-galactosamine and an increase in mannose. The different content of glycoconjugates in goblet cells may reflect in the change of physical and functional properties of mucus. We think these data may be useful in the search for a therapeutic mucomimetic drug.

Carbohydrate Metabolism↗

Noninvasive determination of the anaerobic threshold in canoeing, cross-country skiing, cycling, roller, and ice-skating, rowing, and walking.

The relationship between velocity (V) and heart rate (HR) was determined in four canoeists, 42 cross-country skiers, 73 cyclists, nine ice-skaters, 10 roller-skaters, 32 rowers, and 20 walkers. The athletes were asked to increase their work intensity progressively, from low to submaximal velocities; HRs were determined by ECG in roller-, ice-skating, and walking, or read on a cardiofrequency meter in canoeing, cross-country skiing, cycling, and rowing. In all the athletes examined the linearity of the V-HR relationship was maintained up to a submaximal speed (deflection velocity, Vd), beyond which the increase in work intensity exceeded the increase in HR. Vd and anaerobic threshold (AT), determined through blood lactate measurements, were coincident in 19 athletes (6 cross-country skiers, 3 cyclists, 2 roller-skaters, 3 rowers, and 5 walkers). Vd was correlated with the average speeds maintained in walking (20 km, n = 13, r = 0.88), cross-country skiing (15 km, n = 20, r = 0.80; 30 km, n = 8, r = 0.82; 12 km, n = 7, r = 0.86; 11 km, n = 7, r = 0.86) and cycling (1,000 m flying-start, n = 68, r = 0.83), thus showing that AT is a limiting factor in these aerobic events.

Adolescent↗

[Endurance of 6 marathon runners before and after a "dissociated diet"].

The effect of a carbohydrate loading diet on the endurance of six male marathon runners have been examined. Endurance improved in three runners, remained unchanged in two, and worsened in one. Due to the possibility of negative effects on the performance capability, a runner should experiment his personal reactions to the carbohydrate loading diet before using it regularly for long distance competitions.

Adult↗

Correlation between visual field and color Doppler parameters in chronic open angle glaucoma.

The authors evaluated, by means of colour Doppler imaging, the blood flow in ophthalmic artery and posterior ciliary arteries in subjects with chronic open angle glaucoma. On the basis of the visual field indices (MD, SF, CPSD) the patients' eyes were divided in two groups: group A with better indices and group B with great damage. At the posterior ciliary arteries they found these values: PSV 10.264 +/- 2.363 cm/s (group A) vs. 7.882 +/- 1.251 cm/s (group B) (p < 0.008); RI 0.615 +/- 0.065 (group A) vs. 0.695 +/- 0.064 (group B) (p < 0.009). These data highlight a correlation between the visual field damage and the reduced supply of optic nerve head.

Aged↗

Topical treatment of postvitrectomy fibrin formation with tissue plasminogen activator.

Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is able to dissolve any fibrin material that forms in the anterior chamber or vitreous humor. This property has been reported by various experimental studies performed in rabbits. The authors demonstrate the tPA eye drops administered to patients with postoperative hyphema, which did not respond to traditional therapy, gave rapid clearance of the clot. Following its topical administration for the first time in patients, the harmless nature of the drug is emphasized as well as its efficacy. This study indicates the promising features of this drug which deserve further investigation.

Administration, Topical↗

The biocompatibility of silicone, fluorosilicone and perfluorocarbon liquids as vitreous tamponades. an ultrastructural and immunohistochemical study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the interactions occurring at the interface between some currently used vitreous tamponading substances and the ocular tissues, in an early follow-up after surgery. METHODS: Adult albino rabbit eyes underwent vitrectomy and were injected intravitreally with silicone oils at 1,000 or 3,000 cSt, fluorosilicone oil and perfluorodecalin. Different morphological techniques (light microscopy, scanning and electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry) were applied. RESULTS: All the tested materials, although non-toxic, penetrate the ocular tissues also at the anterior segment level, and in the long-term follow-up this can yield functional impairment. No massive inflammation has been detected in the zones in contact with the materials, but immunoglobulins and complement fractions are anyway present in the stroma of various tissues and around the droplets of emulsified materials, suggesting a local immune reaction. CONCLUSIONS: Data from this study confirmed that a permanent vitreous substitute, showing a perfect biocompatibility, still does not exist. The indication to remove the tamponading substance within 2 months after the surgery emerges from this investigation, confirming previous studies. Despite some negative features, silicone oil still appears the most biocompatible material for vitreous replacement.

Animals↗

Dryness symptoms, diagnostic protocol and therapeutic management: a report on 1,200 patients.

PURPOSE: To report the diagnostic and therapeutic data obtained from 1,200 patients suffering from dry eye symptoms not due to Sjögren's syndrome or other auto-immune diseases. METHODS: Schirmer test I, ferning test, breakup time, vital dye staining, brush and imprint cytology were performed; data were grouped into diagnostic profiles, and the therapy was prescribed according to these. RESULTS: Eight diagnostic profiles were identified. Dry eye was diagnosed in 57.1% of patients; the remaining 42.9% were found to suffer from eye discomfort or conjunctivitis of different aetiologies. CONCLUSIONS: Subjective symptoms of dryness can hide diseases other than dry eye; combined clinical and laboratory tests are requested to make a diagnosis. Our experience indicates that a therapy prescribed on the basis of diagnostic profiles provides relief in 79.1% of cases.

Conjunctiva↗

Pseudodoubling of the optic disc: a colour Doppler imaging study.

Pseudodoubling of the optic disc is a rare clinical presentation. In these cases it is necessary to exclude retinal coloboma or atrophy following vascular or infectious diseases. We present a case of pseudodoubling of the optic disc in a woman with type 2 diabetes and arterial hypertension. Ophthalmoscopic examination of the fundus showed a disc-like lesion in the right eye and a diabetic retinopathy in the left eye. The lesion was evaluated with fluorescein angiography, neuroradiological and colour Doppler imaging investigations. Colour Doppler imaging confirmed the angiographic findings of anomalous vascularisation of the pseudopapilla and provides an analysis of the choroidal vessel anastomosis between the optic disc and the retinal lesion, revealing that the pseudodoubling in this patient was the result of a chorioretinal coloboma.

Aged↗

Prostaglandin analogs and blood-aqueous barrier integrity: a flare cell meter study.

PURPOSE: To study, with an objective method, inflammation of the anterior segment of the glaucomatous eye after treatment with latanoprost, travoprost and bimatoprost. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty patients with chronic open-angle glaucoma aged between 38 and 76 years (mean 64.0 +/- 12.2) were randomly assigned to latanoprost 0.005, travoprost 0.004 and bimatoprost 0.03%. The study period lasted 6 months. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured every 2 weeks. We studied the intraocular inflammation before and after 3 and 6 months of therapy with an instrument composed of a He-Ne laser beam system, a photomultiplier mounted on a slitlamp microscope and a computer. This flare meter allows objective determination of the flare and the number of cells in the aqueous of the anterior chamber. RESULTS: At the baseline, IOP was 26.4 +/- 3.6 mm Hg. After 3 months of treatment, mean IOP in the latanoprost group was 17.9 +/- 0.3 mm Hg (p < 0.001) with a mean cellularity of 12.638 +/- 3.284 photons/ms (p < 0.001). The travoprost group had an IOP of 17.2 +/- 0.3 mm Hg (p < 0.001) with a cellularity of 9.719 +/- 1.927 photons/ms (0.001). Finally, IOP in the bimatoprost group was 17.6 +/- 0.5 mm Hg (p < 0.001) with a cellularity of 6.138 +/- 1.475 photons/ms (p < 0.032). After 6 months of treatment, IOP in the latanoprost group was 18.1 +/- 0.3 (p < 0.001), in the travoprost group 17.3 +/- 0.3 (p < 0.001) and in the bimatoprost group 17.7 +/- 0.5 mm Hg (p < 0.001), whereas cellularity was 11.838 +/- 3.218 (p < 0.001), 8.950 +/- 3.692 (p < 0.001) and 7.617 +/- 2.603 photons/ms (p < 0.001), respectively. After 3 months, the travoprost (p < 0.013) and the bimatoprost groups (p < 0.001) had less flare compared with the latanoprost group and this remained so even at 6 months. When we compared the travoprost group with the bimatoprost group, we found significantly less flare at 3 months in the bimatoprost group (p < 0.001) but not at 6 months (p < 0.246). CONCLUSIONS: The flare meter analysis shows that the eyes treated with bimatoprost and travoprost have a less significantly broken blood-aqueous barrier and their anterior chamber is also significantly less inflamed.

Adult↗

Interferon alpha in the therapy of conjunctival lymphoma in an HIV+ patient.

The authors evaluated the efficacy of interferon-alpha used intralesionally in the therapy of low-grade conjunctival non-Hodgkin lymphoma in an HIV-positive patient. The patient received one intralesional injection of 1,000,000 U of interferon-alpha three times a week for a total of twelve doses. The remission of conjunctival involvement was seen three months from the end of therapy. The intralesional use of interferon-alpha can be considered an efficacious therapy for low-grade conjunctival non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Conjunctival Neoplasms↗

[The functional effect of internal carotid TEA on ocular hemodynamics].

Fifteen patients with a stenosis of the internal carotid artery superior than a 70% were studied in order to analyze the effects of TEA on the ocular hemodynamics. Analysis was made by ophthalmodynamography and electrofunctional studies. An improvement of the ocular hemodynamics was found, particularly by ophthalmodynamography and visual evoked potentials.

Aged↗

Quality of generated diagnosis related groups in Italian Respiratory Intermediate Care Units.

BACKGROUND: To date we lack official data on tipology of Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) and their quality in Italian Respiratory Intermediate Care Units (RICUs). AIM: The objective of the study was to collect data on the activity of 26 Italian RICUs and to evaluate the quality of the DRGs generated. METHODS: The primary and secondary diseases, the procedures carried out and their coding using the ICD9 system (valid Italy until 2000) were collected from the discharge forms of patients admitted to RICUs. To obtain the DRG, these codes were automatically recoded in the ICD9-CM classification system by Grouper 10. Afterwards, the same diseases and procedures were directly processed by the ICD9-CM classification system. Finally, in order to evaluate the quality of care, the DRGs generated by the ICD9 classification system were compared to DRGs generated by the ICD9-CM classification system. RESULTS: The average weight of the patients cared for in an Italian RICU was 2.05 using the ICD9 classification system and 2.53 using the ICD9-CM classification system. Some non-complicated DRGs (80-97) or non specific DRGs (101-102) were set to zero; others, like DRG 87 appear due to the ability of the ICD9-CM classification system to recognise and accept the fifth digit of the Respiratory Failure code (518.81). The difference in terms of DRG scores generated by the two codification systems was 360.5 DRG points in favour of ICD9-CM. More than 1 million Euro of reimbursements have been lost, as the average national reimbursement for each DRG score is Euro 2,943.80. CONCLUSION: Severe pulmonary diseases determined the case mix of patients cared for in the Italian RICUs during the observed period. The Italian RICUs offer high quality assistance and are characterised by high mean weight per treated patient. However, the activity has been under-estimated due to the low sensitivity of the ICD9 classification system used in the recognition of the real disease and in the correct generation of relative DRG. The ICD9 classification system penalised the recognition of respiratory failure in particular.

Aged↗

[Use of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulins in pediatric hematology].

High-dose intravenous immunoglobulin play a critical role in a lot of pediatric hematologic diseases. In our experience we studied the effects of IVIG treatment in 63 children. They all tolerated IVIG preparations in every infusions; no trouble caused the interruption of treatment. The efficacy is evident in immunomediated diseases, most of all ITP, and controlling septic episodes in immunocompromised patients (ALL, AIDS, marrow bone transplantation). An important problem is the cost of preparation; but we may consider that this treatment, for example in ITP, reduces hospitalization for children, necessity of platelets' transfusions, use of steroids and, therefore, their collateral effects. Hence, we assert that the social cost of the management of ITP disease is not higher in children treated with IVIG. Furthermore, short hospitalization for IVIG therapy contributes to accept this disease. It should be advisable to make controlled studies to define with more accuracy the role of this preparation and the modality of its use in the different clinical conditions in which it is employed.

Adolescent↗

Primary hypergammaglobulinemic purpura associated with IgG2 deficiency. A case report.

Hypergammaglobulinemic purpura is a rare disease in children. We report a case of a 12 year-old girl with a history of frequent infections. We found the presence of IgG2 deficiency despite polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia. An IgG subclass determination should be obtained in every child with polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia and features of immunodeficiency.

Child↗

[Interference of acetone in styrene metabolism in subjects exposed to both solvents].

Thirty-seven workers exposed to styrene and acetone in fiberglass industry were monitored on Monday and Thursday for 8 hours (two subsequent samplings of 4 hours each) using passive dosimeters (mod. TK200). The charcoal disks of the passive dosimeters were analysed by gas-chromatography. Urine samples were collected at the end of the workshift and before the start of the workshift the next morning (Tuesday and Friday). Mandelic acid (MA) and phenylglyoxylic acid (PGA) were measured in the urine, using a HPLC method; values were expressed in mg/g of creatinine. The 8-h TWA exposure values ranged from 10 to 522 and 13 to 1581 mg/m3 on Monday and 8 to 423 and 10 to 579 mg/m3 on Thursday for styrene and acetone, respectively. Styrene TWA exposure values significantly correlated with the sum of metabolites at the end of workday (r = 0.72 on Monday and r = 0.91 on Thursday) and also the next morning (r = 0.88 on Tuesday and r = 0.85 on Friday). A calculated styrene exposure level of 213 mg/m3 (ACGIH-TLV) was associated with an excretion of metabolites (MA+PGA) higher on Thursday (814 mg/g creat.) than on Monday (600 mg/g creat.). The same observation was made on Friday (409 mg/g creat.) as compared with Tuesday (302 mg/g creat.). In conclusion, the TLV of styrene was associated with different values of metabolites at the beginning and at the end of the work-week. Moreover our data show that the simultaneous exposure to acetone does not modify the excretion of MA.

Acetone↗