PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Gallerani

Publications and source records attributed to M Gallerani.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Anatomoclinical and chronobiological aspects of sudden death in elderly subjects.

Anatomoclinical and chronobiological aspects of sudden death (SD) of 671 subjects observed at the Emergency Room of Ferrara Hospital from January 1983 to December 1991 were prospectively investigated. 3 groups stratified by age were considered: group A with age < 65 years (no. = 251, 37.4%), group B with age between 65 and 74 years (no. = 210, 31.3%), and group C with age > or = 75 years (no. = 210, 31.3%). SD was classified on the basis of either anatomopathological (i.e.: acute myocardial infarction, acute myocardial failure, intracerebral hemorrhage, rupture of aortic aneurysm, pulmonary embolism), and clinical findings (i.e.: arrhythmic death and circulatory failure death). Patients were grouped into six 4-hour periods according to the time of onset of symptoms, and circadian distribution was tested for uniformity by a chi 2 test for goodness of fit. The analysis found in group C an increased frequency of SD due to pulmonary embolism and rupture of aortic aneurysm, and an increment of males/females ratio in deaths from cardiac causes. In group C the mean age of SD, in particular from acute myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism or arrhythmic death proved higher in females compared to males. Only for group B was a significant circadian periodicity found for SD from acute myocardial infarction and arrhythmic death, with a peak in the morning.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1993

Wave propagation with different pressure signals: an experimental study on the latex tube.

To have deeper insight into the main factors affecting wave propagation in real hydraulic lines, we measured the true propagation coefficient in two latex rubber tubes via the three-point pressure method. The measurements were performed using both sinusoidal pressure signals of different amplitudes and periodic square waves as well as aperiodic pressure impulses. The results obtained were then compared with those predicted by a classic linear model valuable for a purely elastic maximally tethered tube. Our measurements demonstrate that the three-point pressure method may introduce significant errors at low frequencies (below 1 Hz in the present experiments) when the distance between two consecutive transducers becomes much lower than the wavelength. The pattern of phase velocity in the range 2-20 Hz turns out to be about 10 per cent higher than the theoretical one computed using the static value of the Young modulus. This result supports the idea that the dynamic Young modulus of the material is slightly higher than that measured in static conditions. The experimental attenuation per wavelength is significantly higher than the theoretical one over most of the frequencies examined, and settles at a constant value as frequency increases. Introduction of wall viscoelasticity in the theoretical model can explain only a portion of the observed high frequency damping and wave attenuation. Finally, increasing the amplitude of pressure changes significantly affects the measured value of the propagation coefficient, especially at those frequencies for which direct and reflected waves sum together in a positive fashion. In these conditions we observed a moderate increase in phase velocity and a much more evident increase in attenuation per wavelength.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Chronobiological aspects of acute cerebrovascular diseases.

The study was aimed at further investigating the circadian and circannual patterns of stroke onset. Study design and type of participants: 977 strokes (475 in men and 502 in women) concerning 926 subjects (457 men and 469 women) admitted to Ferrara Hospital in two calendar years (1990-1991), were prospectively investigated. The strokes were classified as based on cerebral infarction (CI), transient ischemic attack (TIA) and cerebral hemorrhage (CH: subarachnoid and intracerebral hemorrhage). Two statistical models of analysis were used. The assessment of circadian and circannual periodicity was performed utilizing the single cosinor method. A separate analysis was performed after distribution of events into 6-hour intervals, and chi-square test for fit was applied to the number of observed versus expected cases. The majority of strokes occurred in the morning between 7 a.m. and noon (35% of cases) and the hypothesis of a uniform distribution of the time onset was rejected on the basis of the chi-square for all subtypes of stroke. A circadian rhythm was found for CI and TIA with acrophase at the 11.56 and 12.41 respectively. Also a circannual periodicity was found for CI with a prevalent peak in October. The spectral analysis detected a circadian cycle for CH having a period of 4 h, and a circannual cycle for TIA with a period of 4 months. This study confirms that stroke is a high-chrono-risk disease, with specific circadian and circannual rhythms. This is very important for a better understanding and control of the underlying factors and in terms of prevention.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1993

Sudden death may show a circadian time of risk depending on its anatomo-clinical causes and age.

The aim of this study was to determine whether the time of occurrence of sudden death exhibits a circadian rhythm depending on its different anatomoclinical causes. A longitudinal prospective investigation of 610 nonhospitalized subjects who died suddenly in the Emergency Room of Ferrara Hospital between January 1983 and December 1990 was conducted. All subjects underwent autopsy. Sudden death was classified on the basis of the following pathological causes; acute myocardial infarction, acute myocardial failure, intracerebral hemorrhage, rupture of aortic aneurysm, pulmonary embolism, and clinical causes, i.e., arrhythmia and circulatory failure. The investigated cases were stratified into 2 groups according to age; Group A = age < 70 years (n = 301, 49.3%), and Group B = age > or = to 70 (n = 309, 51.7%). The assessment of circadian rhythmicity was performed utilizing the single cosinor method. The results by cosinor analysis found a circadian rhythmicity for cases of sudden death (peak at 14.04, n = 610, p = 0.036), and in particular for females (peak at 13.12, n = 200, p = 0.004). Spectral analysis detected a statistical ultradian cycle in males having an 8-hour period (p = 0.015). A statistically significant circadian rhythm was found for cases of sudden death due to acute myocardial infarction (peak at 15.28, n = 330, p = 0.013), pulmonary embolism (peak at 11.46, n = 56, p = 0.003) and arrhythmia (peak at 13.08, n = 291, p = 0.04). In Group A no significant circadian rhythm was found, whereas in Group B a significant rhythmicity was found for sudden death from cardiac causes at 13.32 (n = 249, p = 0.015), from myocardial infarction at 15.02 (n = 154, p = 0.018) and from arrhythmia at 13.07 (n = 122, p = 0.014). Different circadian patterns of onset of sudden death may be shown in various subgroups of patients, due not only to different pathophysiologic mechanisms but also to anatomo-clinical aspects.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1993

Chronoepidemiology in human diseases.

Current knowledges about time-dependent variations in onset of several acute medical diseases are briefly reviewed. Moreover, temporal variation in relative risk factors are also discussed. Any clue to the increased likelihood of a given event can heighten suspicion and shorten time of effective action. The predictability of a certain event, due to the periodicity of cyclic changes, can be of a practical interest in everyday medical practice.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1993

[The incidence of acute myocardial infarct during the week. A chronobiological evaluation].

Several diseases, and particularly cardiovascular affections, show a periodic fluctuation in their occurrence. We investigated acute myocardial infarction (AMI) incidence in connection with the day of the week, looking for a link with psycho-social phenomena. Eight hundred and fifty-two patients with AMI were considered: they had been admitted to the emergency department of two main towns of northeastern Italy during a calendar year. Eight hundred and seventeen (533 men, 284 women) were eligible for the purpose of this study. The time of symptom onset was recorded, cardiovascular risk factors and occupational condition were evaluated. All data were analyzed through chi-square test of uniformity and Halberg single cosinor test. No statistically significant difference from the uniform distribution appeared in acute events occurrence both in patients as a whole and in single subgroups subdivided according to gender and age. However, the preferential distribution during the days of the week was somewhat different between men (highest incidence at the extreme of the week) and women (highest incidence about mid-week). Statistically significant differences in AMI occurrence in the week were evidenced when patients were analyzed after subdivision according to their occupational condition: working subjects, in comparison with not-working individuals, showed a higher AMI incidence at the beginning of the week with respect to subsequent days. It is therefore likely that the stress associated with the return to work (according to the weekly working pattern of western society) represents an additional important cause of AMI. The mechanisms for that are only speculative.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Sudden death from pulmonary thromboembolism: chronobiological aspects.

The aim of this study was to determine whether sudden cardiac death from pulmonary embolism exhibits any chronobiological rhythm. Five hundred and seven consecutive subjects dying suddenly outside of hospital and brought into our Emergency Department from January 1983 to December 1989 were studied. The time and date of event were accurately recorded. All subjects underwent autopsy and 48 of them were found to have died of pulmonary embolism (23 males, mean age 73.9 +/- 8 years and 25 females, mean age 76 +/- 12 years). All data were analysed by means of single cosinor[19,20]. In the subjects with pulmonary emboli both a circadian and a circannual rhythmicity were found, with a significant acrophase respectively in the morning (h.min. 11.46, P = 0.003) and in winter (-19.3, P = 0.009).

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Thalassaemia trait and myocardial infarction: low infarction incidence in male subjects confirmed.

A total of 4401 subjects admitted to the Medical Division of St Camillo Hospital in Comacchio (Ferrara, Italy) over a period of 7 years were prospectively evaluated in order to determine whether the heterozygous beta-thalassaemic (HBT) could be considered as a protective factor against the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Of the total patient sample, 3954 subjects were non beta-thalasaemics (NBTs), and 447 subjects were heterozygous beta-thalassaemics (HBTs). AMI was diagnosed in 384 patients, of whom 17 individuals were HBTs and 367 subjects were NBTs. The prevalence of HBTs in this group was significantly lower than expected (4.43%, P less than 0.0001). Furthermore, an analysis by sex showed that this lower prevalence could be attributed to male patients. Moreover, only in male subjects was a significant negative correlation observed between AMI and HBT. The mean age at which AMI occurred in male HBTs was significantly higher than in male NBTs (72 +/- 2.69 vs. 63 +/- 0.7 years, P less than 0.05), while no differences were found in the mean age at which AMI occurred between HBT and NBT female subjects. This study demonstrates that the thalassaemic trait may afford some protection against the occurrence of AMI in men.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Immunological pattern in heterozygote beta thalassemic subjects.

In heterozygote beta-thalassemic subjects in a higher incidence of infectious diseases and of liver diseases with progression toward chronic hepatitis has been assessed. This predisposition has been suggested as being related to some immunological defects and to an altered immunological reactivity in thalassemia trait carriers. In order to evaluate whether there is a real deficiency of some humoral and cellular parameters in healthy heterozygote beta-thalassemic subjects, 128 symptom-free volunteers have been studied: 40 were heterozygote beta thalassemia carriers and 88 were normal subjects. In both groups there was no difference in: number and percentage of total lymphocytes, gamma globulins, immunoglobulins A and M, number and percentage of CD21, CD3, CD4, CD8, number of OKla*1, CD4/CD8 rations and lymphocytes' ability to respond to phytohemagglutinin. The values of immunoglobulins G and percentages of OKla*1 were found to be higher only in heterozygote beta thalassemic subjects; however, the number of CD2 in these subjects was lower. The result of the present study seems to indicate there is not significant difference between heterozygote beta thalassemic carriers and normal subjects in the more usual humoral and cellular immunological parameters.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Heterozygote beta-thalassemia and neoplastic pathology].

To evaluate the possible correlation between heterozygote beta thalassemia (BTE) and neoplastic disease, a 5-year personal experience of clinically followed patients at Comacchio Hospital Internal Medicine and Surgery divisions is presented. The hemoglobin A2 was assayed in all patients whose medial corpuscular volume was lower than 80 fl. 589 consecutive neoplastic patients were evaluated; of these 73 were BTE. In the BTE patients the prevalence of neoplastic disease was 12.39% higher than in healthy people (8.8%, chi 2 = 8.79 and p = 0.03). In thalassaemic carriers the titres of medial annual incidence to 10,000 for neoplastic diseases were proved to be ever higher (46.08 versus 31.49/10,000). The incidence of gastric cancer was found to be greater in BTE than in non-trait carrier population (13 in 63 patients, with a 20.63% prevalence, chi 2 = 9.52 and p = 0.02). A higher prevalence of thalassaemic carriers was observed among subjects with cancer in different organs: larynx, oesophagus, gallbladder and bile ducts, pancreas, breast and kidney, but these differences were not statistically significant. As for various sites of cancer: lung, liver, uterus and ovary, bladder, prostate, skin, lymphomas, leukaemias and gammopathies, no difference in BTE prevalence was found. We conclude that a greater predisposition to neoplastic disease can be present in BTE than in healthy population.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1989

[Uric acid analysis in thalassemia trait carriers].

The results of a uric acid analysis on Beta Thalassaemia Heterozygotes compared with healthy or microcytic non Beta Thalassaemia Heterozygotes are reported. Identical uric acid levels, higher than in the control group, were found in Beta Thalassaemia Heterozygotes: therefore the difference does not appear to be specific for thalassaemic carriers but consequent to increased erythrocytic catabolism in microcytic anemias.

Anemia↗
PubMed1989

[Cardiovascular diseases in heterozygote beta-thalassemia subjects].

Forty-four months analysis of cardiovascular diseases in a population with a high incidence of beta thalassemia trait is reported. A lower incidence of acute myocardiac infarctions, strokes, and their recurrence was observed in subjects with thalassemic trait; however they present more infarctions in later middle age and a lower incidence of atherogenic risk factors, specially hyperlipoproteinemias.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1986

[Heterozygous beta thalassemia and gastrointestinal pathology].

A 29 month personal experience with patients clinically followed-up at the divisions of internal medicine and surgery of Comacchio Hospital, located in an area of high incidence of heterozygote Beta thalassemic carrier is presented. A greater predisposition of these heterozygote carriers to manifest duodenal ulcers and gastric neoplasms is noticed.

Cecal Neoplasms↗