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Biomedical subjects

M Garofalo

Publications and source records attributed to M Garofalo.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Hypertension and arrhythmias: effects of slow-release nicardipine vs chlorthalidone: a double-blind crossover study.

The aim of the study was to compare the effect of slow-release (SR) nicardipine, placebo and chlorthalidone on hypertension-related arrhythmias evaluating 24-h ambulatory ECG. After a 2-week placebo run-in, the patients were randomized according to a double-blind design and treated with either SR nicardipine (40 mg b.i.d.) or chlorthalidone (25 mg once daily) for 8 weeks. At the end of this period, the patients were again treated with placebo for an additional 2 weeks and then crossed over and treated with either SR nicardipine or chlorthalidone for another 8 weeks. Three patients were withdrawn from the study at the end of the first period (1 after SR nicardipine and 2 after chlorthalidone) because of severe arrhythmias (Lown's class 4B) requiring antiarrhythmic therapy. The statistical evaluation was performed on data from 36 patients. SR nicardipine and chlorthalidone determined a significant reduction of both systolic and diastolic BP, with greater decrease with SR nicardipine and without modification of HR. Twenty-four-h ambulatory ECG showed a reduction of both supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias by SR nicardipine not only compared to placebo but also vs chlorthalidone. Similarly, the severity of ventricular arrhythmias, according to Lown's classes, was reduced only after SR nicardipine. These results were confirmed also dividing the patients according to echocardiographic criteria of LVH. The adverse effects were slight and well tolerated with both drugs. Among hematochemical data, only chlorthalidone induced significant reduction of blood potassium (with 3 cases of hypokalemia). In conclusion, SR nicardipine was found to be more efficacious than chlorthalidone in controlling not only BP but also the arrhythmic events related to hypertension.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Effects on casual and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure of slow-release nicardipine and chlorthalidone in arterial essential hypertension: double-blind, crossover study.

The antihypertensive effect of slow-release (SR) nicardipine (40 mg twice a day) and chlorthalidone (25 mg once a day), was evaluated in 36 patients with mild to moderate hypertension by casual and 24-h BP monitoring. After 2-week placebo wash-out, patients were treated for 8 weeks with one of the two drugs, according to a double-blind design. Successively, after other 2 weeks of placebo, they underwent a crossover treatment for other 8 weeks. Both drugs were efficacious in reducing BP. The greater activity of SR nicardipine was revealed by: the effect on casual BP, with the higher number of normalized patients; a greater reduction of 24-h BP; a greater influence on BP variability, assessed by mean standard variation and variation coefficient; the lower levels of linear regression between HR and both systolic and diastolic BP; the reduced per cent incidence of abnormal levels of both systolic and diastolic BP during 24 h. Both drugs were well tolerated, with a low incidence of side effects and absence of alterations of biochemical parameters, a part of 3 cases of ipokalemia induced by chlorthalidone. In conclusion, SR nicardipine is considered to be a safe and active first-choice drug for the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Neurologic complications of cloacogenic carcinoma.

Cloacogenic carcinoma is a rare tumor, originating from epithelium of the anal transition zone. We report a 63-yr-old man with pathologically proven cloacogenic carcinoma which caused a rapidly progressive paraparesis and changes in mental status. These were related to extramedullary deposits around the spinal cord and cauda equina and intramedullary deposits in the brain. This pattern of neural involvement with anal canal carcinoma has not been reported previously.

Anus Neoplasms↗
PubMed1989

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia with hypothalamic invasion.

Headaches and a state of confusion developed in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). A computed tomography (CT) scan of the head showed a hyperdense lesion in the hypothalamus with obstruction of the foramina of Monro. Leukemic cells with monoclonal lambda B-cell markers were identified in the ventricular fluid at the time of surgical decompression. Similar cells were identified in the peripheral blood. This lesion has not been described as a complication of CLL, a disease that, unlike other leukemias, rarely has central nervous system manifestations.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Monoclonal antibodies for specific immunoperoxidase detection of Campylobacter pylori.

Monoclonal antibodies were raised against Campylobacter pylori to detect the organism in clinical specimens by the immunoperoxidase technique. Twenty-one hybridoma cultures obtained were screened on tissue sections of gastric mucosa to identify antibodies that did not cross-react with host cells. To select antibodies with high grade of specificity to C. pylori, hybridomas were also screened by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay against a wide panel of gram-negative bacteria. Fifteen antibodies showed a variable grade of cross-reactivity with gastric mucosa, indicating the presence of at least three epitopes shared by C. pylori and epithelial cells. Three of the six antibodies non-reacting with gastric mucosa (CB-1, CB-26, and CB-31) also were found to be specific for C. pylori. Using CB-26 in an indirect immunoperoxidase test, gastric brushings from 60 patients consecutively undergoing endoscopic examination were examined. By light microscopy, we observed the presence of large amounts of C. pylori in smears from all the 32 patients with positive culture. A small number of bacterial cells were also seen in 8 of 28 patients whose cultures were negative. These findings suggest that the monoclonal antibody CB-26 might be of value for rapid and specific detection of C. pylori.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Blood pressure and cardiac morphology in young children of hypertensive subjects.

Our aim was to assess echocardiographic parameters and the effort blood pressure of 50 children of hypertensives with respect to 50 children of normotensives. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures at rest were comparable between the two groups. Left ventricular mass index (LVMI), interventricular septum and posterior wall thicknesses were higher in children of hypertensives (P less than 0.01). Systolic blood pressure was higher in children of hypertensives at maximal effort until 5 min of recovery (P less than 0.01). Similarly, diastolic blood pressure was higher at 1 and 2 min of recovery (P less than 0.01). Direct correlations of mean diastolic wall thickness (r = 0.39, P less than 0.01) and LVMI (r = 0.33, P less than 0.05) with percentage effort systolic blood pressure increases were found in children of hypertensives but not in children of normotensives. In conclusion, we confirmed early cardiac alterations and a tendency for effort hypertension in children of hypertensives. The relationship between these data could be explained either by effort systolic overload or by a common response to an increased adrenergic stimulus.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Arrhythmias, hypertension and the elderly: Holter evaluation.

In order to clarify the role of age and hypertension in determining arrhythmias, we evaluated the average heart rate, and the number of supraventricular and ventricular premature beats and their severity (Lown grade) by 24-h Holter electrocardiography of 336 patients. We excluded 54 patients with prolonged runs of atrial fibrillation or supraventricular tachycardia because these arrhythmias reduce the possibility of determining the number of premature beats. Analysis of variance, carried out after dividing the patients into four different groups according to age and blood pressure (excluding patients aged 60-65 years with diastolic blood pressure of 91-94 mmHg) showed that the hypertensives had a higher average heart rate (P less than 0.01) and more supraventricular (P less than 0.05) and premature ventricular (P less than 0.01) beats than the normotensives; no difference was found among groups of different ages. The severity of premature ventricular beats was higher in hypertensives than in normotensives, and also higher in elderly than in 'young' patients (P less than 0.01). In the evaluation of all 336 patients we found correlations between age and severity of premature ventricular beats in both normotensives (P less than 0.05) and hypertensives (P less than 0.001). Multilinear regression showed that mean blood pressure was independently related to the average heart rate, and supraventricular and premature ventricular beats and their severity, while age was correlated independently only with the severity of premature ventricular beats (P less than 0.001). We conclude that hypertension induces arrhythmias, and that age increases their severity.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1978

Peripheral polyneuropathy associated with primary malignant lymphoma of the brain.

A patient with a primary malignant lymphoma of the brain manifested a peripheral polyneuropathy during his illness that could not be accounted for by the usual causes. The polyneuropathy is considered to be a nonmetastatic complication of the primary brain tumor. A review of the literature did not uncover a similar case.

Brain Neoplasms↗
PubMed1977

Cerebral arteriovenous malformation and the primitive trigeminal artery.

A 27-year-old woman with a small cerebral arteriovenous malformation and a primitive trigeminal artery had subarachnoid hemorrhage. This case and a review of the literature suggest that some of the "spontaneous" subarachnoid hemorrhages reported in patients with a primitive trigeminal artery may have been due to rupture of an unrecognized small arteriovenous malformation or aneurysm.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of nicardipine on chronic stable effort angina: a non-invasive assessment.

The effects of 60 mg/day nicardipine hydrochloride were evaluated in a 4-week single-blind study on 12 patients with chronic stable effort angina. All patients completed the treatment with few reports of adverse effects. Nicardipine hydrochloride was effective in reducing the incidence of anginal attacks and consumption of glyceryl trinitrate. Treadmill exercise time, angina onset time and the time to 1 mm ST-segment depression were increased. The extent of ST-segment depression was reduced at maximum comparable exercise, with a reduced rate-pressure product and, at maximum exercise, with an increased rate-pressure product. Myocardial stress 201Tl scintillography was carried out in eight of the patients and showed improved washout in antero-septal, infero-apical and postero-lateral segments. Echocardiographic measures of left ventricular function were enhanced because of reduction of afterload. Systemic vascular resistance and end-systolic stress were also decreased and a significant correlation was found between the increase in ejection fraction and reduction of systolic blood pressure. It is concluded that nicardipine hydrochloride is effective in the control of stable effort angina by reducing myocardial oxygen consumption and enhancing coronary blood flow thereby improving left ventricular function.

Angina Pectoris↗