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Biomedical subjects

M Martini

Publications and source records attributed to M Martini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Wound botulism: clinical and microbiological findings of an Italian case.

A case of wound botulism in a 41-year old man is reported. The patient had accidently been wounded when he fell on an iron bar. Some days later he developed typical clinical manifestations of botulism. Wound botulism was confirmed by detection and quantification of type B botulinal toxin in the serum. Ventilatory supportive care was necessary and botulinal antitoxin was not given. The patient was hospitalized for 30 days and recovery was complete.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Determination of pancreatic lipase by immunoactivation technology. A rapid test system with high sensitivity and specificity.

This paper describes the test characteristics and clinical relevance of a newly developed homogeneous enzyme immunoassay IMAC lipase test for the determination of serum pancreatic lipase. The method of determination is based on an immunoactivation technology and utilizes antibody fragments against human pancreatic lipase covalently bound to the marker enzyme horseradish peroxidase. The serum samples of 408 persons were investigated with this new assay. The within-run and day-to-day precision, the linearity, and the recovery of this immunoassay correspond to a very high degree to the requirements made of a modern immunological test. Comparison with an ELISA method resulted in a correlation coefficient of 0.971, whereby the IMAC lipase assay tended to register lower serum values. The serum range for the IMAC lipase test is 0-47 micrograms/L, based on a normal collective of 187 healthy controls. A sensitivity of 95.8% for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis at a cutoff level of twice the upper normal range and a specificity of 99.3% at an efficiency of 99.8% can be given. The advantage of the IMAC lipase test method is its ability to be adapted to work on automatic laboratory analyzers.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

A study of factors influencing intestinal parasites in dogs.

Coprological examinations were made on 686 owned dogs (23% of the total number of the registered dogs) in a semiurban area of the province of Bologna including the small towns of S. Agata, S. Giovanni in Persiceto, Sala Bolognese and Crevalcore. The results of the coprological tests were evaluated in association with the data obtained from the owners about the origin and the use or function of the animals, veterinary assistance, diet, cohabitation with other dogs, and the presence of gastrointestinal conditions. Prevalence rates were 7.0% for ascarids, 3.6% for tapeworms, 7.1% for coccidia, 2.8% for hookworms, 28.6% for whipworms. On the whole, the animals positive for gastrointestinal parasites were 37.5% of those examined. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the presence of gastrointestinal parasites in general was influenced by the use of the animals, veterinary assistance, age, anthelminthic treatments and cohabitation with other dogs. The presence of ascarids appeared to be influenced by age and veterinary assistance; that of cestodes by veterinary assistance; that of coccidia by cohabitation with other dogs; that of whipworms by function, treatments, veterinary assistance and age. None of the variables considered in the analysis could explain the presence of hookworms. Factor analysis grouped the variables considered into 5 factors: the first was associated with veterinary assistance; the second with the animal's function and the presence of whipworms, hookworms and tapeworms; the third with cohabitation, origin and presence of coccidia; the fourth with the presence of fresh meat (cooked, raw or frozen) in the diet, age and positivity for ascarids; the fifth with sex and the presence of gastroenteric conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

[Clinical results of the treatment of chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis of the femur by operation. A series of 165 cases].

Between 1968 and 1987 the authors treated 165 cases of chronic haematogenous osteomyelitis of the femur by operation. The procedure used combined decompression, sequestrectomy and saucerization in 161 cases, and sequestrectomy alone in 4. Chemotherapy was used in association for between 10 and 60 days. Eleven patients, thought to be healed, were lost to follow-up after 4 months. The remainder were reviewed for between 4 and 252 months, 124 for more than one year. After the first operation 105 lesions (64%) healed completely, while 60 (36%) relapsed. Of these, 48 were treated by further operation and 12 by drainage of the abscess. Nine patients relapsed twice and there were 3 or more relapses in a further 9. When last seen, 147 lesions were healed and 18 had a permanent sinus. Special features in relation to the femur are discussed, including destructive lesions of the knee and hip joints, the high incidence of stiffness of the knee even in the absence of radiographic evidence of destruction (48.5%), and the danger of injuries to the femoral vessels when using an approach through a medial sinus. The frequency of occurrence of lesions on both medial and posterior aspects of the femur has led the authors to recommend definitive surgical approaches, especially the true postero-lateral and antero-medial routes. Unsatisfactory results after operation may be due to the difficulty in performing sequestrectomy in deep and extensive lesions, problems in undertaking adequate saucerization and the lack of muscle to fill the residual cavity.

Abscess↗
PubMed1991

Efferent control of posterior canal afferent receptor discharge in the frog labyrinth.

EPSP and spike discharges were intracellularly recorded from 90 afferent fibres of the posterior nerve in the isolated frog labyrinth and the effects of electrical activation of the efferent system were tested. Posterior canal efferent synapses were activated, via an axon reflex, by electrical shocks to the anterior-horizontal nerves. The afferent resting discharge of all fibres tested was affected by efferent stimulation: 39 units were inhibited (43%) and 51 (57%) were facilitated. The efferent system was activated with several stimulation frequencies in the 10-200 Hz range applied for different times (250 ms-10 s). By changing the stimulus parameters, inhibition did not reverse to facilitation or vice versa. Facilitation appeared within the train above a threshold frequency of about 10 Hz. The peak response was readily reached within the first second and then, with long lasting stimulation, a marked adaptation ensued. The increase in firing rate was independent of previous resting activity. The relationship between frequency and facilitatory response is described by a logarithmic function over the 30-200 Hz range tested. At the end of short trains a consistent post-stimulation after-discharge appeared, whose intensity is positively related to stimulation frequency and time. Inhibition was achieved at stimulation rates above 10 Hz, and a post-stimulation rebound discharge was evident, which was linearly dependent on previous stimulation rate. The latency values of both inhibitory and facilitatory effects were measured by taking into account either the EPSP release rate or the spike discharge modifications at all the frequencies tested. Latency proved to decrease exponentially with increasing stimulation time from a minimal value of 3 ms to a maximum of 200 ms, with minor differences between inhibition or facilitation. These long latency values, the presence of a threshold frequency and the stimulus- and frequency dependence indicate that the efferent synapses must be activated repetitively to produce detectable effects on the afferent discharge; this is in line with the discharge pattern of the efferent system fibres physiologically measured in some systems. The present results show that the dual central control of the crista ampullaris of frog posterior canal is potentially capable of setting the receptor population at a variable level of sensitivity to mechanical stimuli, with profound modifications in the canal transfer function and the spike encoding mechanism.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

[Results of the surgical treatment of chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis of the tibia. A series of 122 cases].

Between 1968 and 1987 the authors treated 122 cases of chronic haematogenous osteomyelitis of the tibia by operation. The procedures used were drilling, sequestrectomy, and saucerisation, with bone resection in 2 cases. Operation was combined with chemotherapy for between 10 and 60 days. Eleven patients, thought to be healed, were lost to follow-up after 4 months. The remainder were reviewed for between 4 and 288 months, 97 for more than one year. After the first operation 102 patients healed completely, while 20 relapsed. Of these, 12 were treated by further operation and 8 by drainage of the abscess. Two patients relapsed twice and another 4 times. When last seen 110 patients were healed, 6 had an intermittent discharge and 6 had a permanent sinus. Special features of chronic osteomyelitis of the tibia are discussed, including destructive lesions of the knee and tibio-tarsal joints, a high incidence of axial deformity, indications for particular surgical approaches, the use of cancellous grafts and arguments against bone resection. The lesions carry a relatively good prognosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

PMN-elastase in comparison with CRP, antiproteases, and LDH as indicators of necrosis in human acute pancreatitis.

We analyzed the role of polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMN)-elastase in predicting the prognosis of patients with acute pancreatitis in comparison with C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and the two antiproteases alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-AT) and alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2-M). Fifty-two patients with acute pancreatitis were subdivided according to morphological criteria into 29 patients with edematous pancreatitis and 23 patients with necrotizing pancreatitis. Within 5 days after the onset of acute pancreatitis, the accuracy rates for detecting necrotizing pancreatitis were 86%, 84%, 82%, 72%, and 69%, using cutoff levels of 120 mg/L for CRP, 120 micrograms/L for PMN-elastase, 270 U/L for LDH, 1.5 g/L for alpha 2-M, and 3.5 g/L for alpha 1-AT, respectively. The median peak value of PMN-elastase was reached on day 1 of acute pancreatitis in contrast to the median peak of CRP, which was at its highest between days 3 and 4. PMN-elastase represents a reliable indicator, comparable with CRP, for the staging of acute pancreatitis. The advantage of PMN-elastase over CRP appears to be its earlier increase and the greater dynamism of its serum course. Finally, the results suggest that CT scanning for the evaluation of the extent of intra- and extrapancreatic necrosis could be restricted to those patients with increased values of PMN-elastase and CRP.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1991

[Statistical analysis of mediator release from the cyto-neural junction of the posterior canal of the labyrinth isolated from the frog].

The transmitter release mechanism was investigated at the cyto-neural junction of the frog labyrinth posterior canal. Low frequency (less than 100/s) non overlapping EPSPs were intracellularly recorded both at rest and during inhibitory mechanical stimulation of the canal (2-8 deg/s2). Recordings were obtained: in control solution; in the presence of increased external Ca2+ (9 mM); in Ca-free EGTA (5 mM) solution and during electrical activation at 50 Hz of the posterior canal inhibitory efferent system. Individual synaptic potentials were digitized and their peak amplitudes, their time integrals as well as the time intervals between them were evaluated. The time intervals proved to be exponentially distributed, suggesting a random EPSP occurrence. The analytical reconstruction of the EPSP waveform indicated that a gamma- function fitted reasonably well both the single and averaged events. As regards the averaged event, despite the scatter in the values of the gamma-function exponential factor (range 1.1-2.2), in the EPSP time-to-peak (0.6-1.2 ms) and peak amplitude (0.9-2.7 mV) displayed by the units, no significant differences were observed in the same fibre between control and test conditions. Moreover, the event peak amplitude distribution represented by cumulative plots or amplitude histograms was fitted by a lognormal function. The distributions obtained for the same unit in control solution proved to be not significantly different from those successively obtained under test conditions. The unimodal and continuous EPSP distributions, together with the unvarying characteristics of the single events, strongly suggest that the observed potentials are true mEPSPs due to the release of single quanta of transmitter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1991

Diagnosis of canine filariosis: relative sensitivity and specificity of some haematological techniques.

Blood samples from 329 dogs of an hyperendemic area in Northern Italy were examined for filariosis. At the filter method (5 microns), taken as reference test, 163 (49.5%) were positive: 160 for Dirofilaria immitis, 2 for D. repens and 1 for both species. The direct smear test (DS), the modified Knott technique (KT) and a further modification of the Knott technique (MKT) were performed in order to assess their relative sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV). The relative SE values are of 88.3%, 91.0% and 91.8% for DS, KT and MKT, respectively. Only the DS relative SP value (99.3%) is less than 100%. Also the PPV and NPV are very high (all above 89%) as well as the values of the coefficient Kappa (all above 0.8), a measure of the concordance between the results of the FT and of the comparison tests.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

[Short- and mid-term results of percutaneous aortic valvuloplasty for calcific aortic stenosis in elderly patients].

In order to evaluate the short and mid-term results of percutaneous aortic balloon valvuloplasty, 40 consecutive elderly patients with symptomatic severe calcific aortic stenosis, underwent the procedure consecutively, with follow-up by clinical evaluation and Doppler echocardiography. Over a mean follow-up period of 11.2 months there were 5 deaths, and 12 patients underwent subsequent aortic valve replacement. Doppler echocardiography revealed an increase in aortic valve area from 0.62 +/- 0.20 cm2 to 0.91 +/- 0.23 cm2 after the procedure, but there was a significant trend toward restenosis by 12 months follow-up in 23 of 32 patients (72%). Restenosis was accompanied by symptomatic deterioration in 18 of 23 patients (78%). Although balloon valvuloplasty may often improve haemodynamics and relieve symptoms, these benefits seem to be short-lived in most cases. Restenosis has a high rate of occurrence. Aortic balloon valvuloplasty should be reserved for truly inoperable cases and for haemodynamically-unstable patients, who may later undergo surgery.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

[Results of the surgical treatment of chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis of the fibula].

Four hundred cases of chronic haematogenous osteomyelitis were treated by operation between 1968 and 1987. Twenty were located in the fibula. Diaphyseal resection of the fibula was carried out in 18 cases, all of which healed. The other 2 had sequestrectomy, and both relapsed. Failure of regeneration of the diaphysis after resection is of no consequence in adults, but inadequate regeneration in children will lead to elevation of the lateral malleolus and a valgus deformity of the ankle. In adults chronic osteomyelitis of the fibula should be treated by resection of the diaphysis. In children sequestrectomy is the initial treatment of choice, with resection of the fibula reserved for management of a recurrence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Short-lasting hemodynamic and clinical benefits from percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty for calcific aortic stenosis.

In order to evaluate the short- and mid-term results of percutaneous aortic balloon valvuloplasty, 40 consecutive elderly patients, who had undergone balloon valvuloplasty for calcific aortic stenosis, were prospectively followed up by means of clinical and echo-Doppler examinations. Although valvuloplasty often dramatically improves hemodynamics and relieves symptoms, these benefits seem to be short-lived in most cases. Restenosis, defined as a loss of 50% or more of the increase in aortic valve area obtained by the dilatation, has a very high rate of occurrence. Aortic balloon valvuloplasty should therefore be reserved for truly inoperable cases and can be performed in hemodynamically unstable patients, who may later undergo surgery.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Quantitative parameters of seminiferous epithelium in secretory and excretory oligoazoospermia.

Testicular biopsy specimens from infertile men (sperm count, less than 10(6)/ml) were evaluated on 1-micron thick sections, and counts of stem cells and differentiated spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes, early and late spermatids, and Sertoli cells were compared to counts in six fertile men. Biopsy specimens were also compared for the appearance of seminiferous tubule wall, blood vessels, and interstitium. Infertile men were grouped according to the following diagnoses: hypospermatogenesis (n = 5), spermatocyte arrest of spermatogenesis (n = 5), and obstruction of the genital tract (n = 7). A low productivity of spermatogenesis in cases of hypospermatogenesis appeared to be due to an exaggerated degeneration of primary spermatocytes and to a yield of abnormal spermatids. A block of meiosis in spermatocyte arrest was associated with a degeneration of primary spermatocytes and with a reduced number of staminal spermatogonia. Abnormal spermiogenesis was observed in cases of obstruction of the genital tract and was associated with an increase in stem cell spermatogonia. A thickening of seminiferous tubule and blood vessel walls could be responsible for the limited functional capacity of Sertoli cells, causing altered spermiogenesis in cases of excretory azoospermia. A severe primitive failure of Sertoli cells in secretory oligoazoospermia could account for a deranged maturation and degeneration of premeiotic and postmeiotic germ cells.

Adult↗