Biomedical subjects

M Izzo

Publications and source records attributed to M Izzo.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1998

Feasibility of combined percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Angioplasty has become an accepted treatment of patients with coronary artery disease and is now commonly used to treat patients with multivessel disease. The major disadvantage of angioplasty has been restenosis requiring repeat interventions with resultant loss of initial cost savings. Compared with the right and the circumflex coronary arteries, the left anterior descending artery (LAD) has been more adversely affected by restenosis. Recently, minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) to the LAD through a small left anterior thoracotomy using the left internal mammary artery has been performed in some centers with excellent early results and with reduced costs compared with standard bypass surgery. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively reviewed the first 31 consecutive patients treated in our institution with integrated coronary revascularization (ICR): MIDCAB to the LAD combined with PTCA of the other diseased vessels in patients with multivessel disease. Postoperative angiography in 84% of patients revealed a patent anastomosis and normal flow in the graft and bypassed vessel. Thirty-eight (97%) of 39 vessels were successfully treated percutaneously. At a mean follow-up of 7 months, all patients are currently asymptomatic. There have been 2 adverse clinical events, both related to angioplasty and not to MIDCAB. The average length of stay at the hospital after MIDCAB was 2.79+/-1.05 days. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results with ICR are encouraging and suggest that a randomized, prospective clinical trial comparing ICR with standard coronary artery bypass surgery for the revascularization of symptomatic patients with multivessel disease involving the LAD is warranted.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗

PubMed1998

Height, weight, height velocity of primary school population sample in Campania region.

Aim of this study was to plot height, weight and height velocity values of primary school civic population of Portici and Ercolano, Campania towns, on Tanner's charts in order to verify the overlapping of percentile distribution. On May 1994 height and weight were measured in 3504 children (1735 boys and 1769 girls, aged 5.4-16.1 years, mean age = 8.6 years) from the 1st, 2nd and 5th year of primary schools in Portici and Ercolano. One year later, on May 1995, we remeasured and reweighed 1583 (781 boys and 802 girls, aged 6.4-14.2 years, mean age = 9.6 years) out of total children and we calculated height velocity (HV). The height and weight profiles of our population sample show that children in Portici and Ercolano are taller and fatter than those measured by Tanner and Whitehouse 25-30 years ago. The calculation of body mass index (BMI) confirmed that 30% of total children were obese. Furthermore, the evaluation of one-year HV revealed a clear improvement of linear growth. Our data suggest that Tanner and Whitehouse charts should be updated, and it should be useful to elaborate also height, weight and HV standards derived from present-day population.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Immunofluorescence analysis of diazepam-induced mitotic apparatus anomalies and chromosome loss in Chinese hamster cells.

To study the mechanisms leading to diazepam (DZ)-induced chromosome loss, we evaluated the effect of the drug on the distribution of cytoplasmic and mitotic apparatus proteins using specific antibodies. The use of antibodies directed against dynein and kinetochores (CREST staining) suggested that chromosomes arranged in monopolar spindles were interacting with short fibers originating from the monopole. Interestingly, nearly 50% of DZ-induced monopolar mitoses showed a punctate staining of centrosomes when evaluated with an anti-gamma-tubulin antibody. The extent of phosphorylation of mitotic proteins was not affected by drug treatment, as shown by staining the cells with an antibody against mitotic phosphorylated proteins (MPM-2). After recovery of DZ, nearly 20% of anaphases were abnormal and mainly consisted of multipolar anaphases and lagging chromosomes; this was consistent with a high frequency of kinetochore-containing micronuclei as evaluated by CREST antibody staining in cells that had divided only once after drug removal, i.e. binucleate cells obtained by cytochalasin-B treatment. Our data confirmed that DZ is a powerful inducer of chromosome loss in cultured rodent cells. Moreover, our results indicate that DZ interfered with the correct assembly of centrosomes.

Anaphase↗

PubMed1996

The detection and evaluation of aneugenic chemicals.

Although aneuploidy makes a significant contribution to both somatic and inherited disease the mechanisms by which environmental chemicals may induce numerical chromosome aberrations are only poorly defined. The European Union Project was aimed to further our understanding of those chemical interactions with the components of the mitotic and meiotic cell division cycle which may lead to aneuploidy and to characterise the parameters such as cellular metabolism which may influence the activity of aneugenic chemicals. C-mitosis can be induced by the highly lipophilic polychlorinated biphenyl and the completion of mitosis and cleavage can be modified by agents which deplete cellular levels of reduced glutathione. Modifications of the fidelity of chromosome segregation were produced by inhibiting the functioning of topoisomerase II during chromatid separation. In contrast, the modification of centromere integrity resulted in chromosome breakage as opposed to disturbance of segregation. Modifiers of tubulin assembly and centriolar functioning in somatic cells such as acrylamide, vinblastine and diazepam reproduced their activity in rodent bone marrow and male germ cells. The analysis of chromosome malsegregation in Aspergillus nidulans by a structurally related series of halogenated hydrocarbons was used to develop a QSAR model which had high predictive value for the results of fungal tests for previously untested related chemicals. Metabolic studies of potential aneugens in genetically engineered human lymphoblastoid cells demonstrated the detoxification of the aneugenic activity of chloral hydrate and the activation of 2,3-dichlorobutane, 1,1,2-trichloroethane and trichloroethylene by Phase I biotransforming enzymes. Cell transformation studies in Syrian hamster dermal cultures using a panel of 22 reference and or potential aneugens indicated that 15 of the 22 produced positive results following single exposures. Five of the aneugens which were negative following single exposures produced positive results where cultures were continuously exposed for up to 6 weeks to low concentrations following a single non-transforming exposure to the mutagen dimethyl sulphate. The transformation studies indicate that a significant proportion of chemical aneugens are potential complete carcinogens and/or co-carcinogens. To optimise the enumeration of chromosomes following exposure to potential chemical aneugens whole chromosome paints and centromere specific probes suitable for use in fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) were developed for the rat, mouse and Chinese hamster and selected human probes evaluated for their suitability for routine use. Molecular chromosome probes were used to develop protocols for enumerating chromosomes in metaphase cells and centromeres and micronuclei in interphase cells. The analysis of segregation of specific centromeres in binucleate cells following cytochalasin B treatment was shown to be a potentially valuable system for characterising non-disjunction following chemical exposure. Whole chromosome paints and centromere specific probes were used to demonstrate the presence of dose-response thresholds following treatment with a reference panel of spindle inhibiting chemicals. These data indicate that the FISH technology is suitable for evaluating the relative hazards of low-dose exposures to aneugenic chemicals.

Aneuploidy↗

PubMed1985