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M Pavesi

Publications and source records attributed to M Pavesi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

High prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Gerona, Spain, a province with low myocardial infarction incidence. REGICOR Investigators.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To establish the prevalence of main cardiovascular risk factors in the province of Gerona, where the incidence of myocardial infarction is known to be low. DESIGN: This was a cross sectional study of prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors conducted on a large random population sample. SETTING: The province of Gerona, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand four hundred and four eligible inhabitants of Gerona aged between 25 and 74 years were randomly selected for a multi-stage sample stratified by age and sex. The following were standardly measured: lipids (total cholesterol, high density, low density, lipoprotein (a) and triglycerides), fibrinogen, basal glycaemia, arterial pressure, anthropometric variables, smoking, history of angina (Rose questionnaire), and a medical history questionnaire. Population measurements were standardised for the world population of 24 to 74 years of age. RESULTS: The participation rate was 72.7% (1748). Total mean cholesterol was 5.69 mmol/l in men and 5.61 mmol/l in women and mean high density cholesterol was 1.22 mmol/l and 1.47 mmol/l, respectively. Median lipoprotein (a) was 0.22 g/l. These three lipids increased significantly with age. Mean fibrinogen was 2.92 g/l in men and 3.09 g/l in women, and was higher in smokers. The prevalence of hypertension (systolic arterial tension > or = 140 mm Hg or diastolic > or = 90 mm Hg or drug treatment) was 31.3% in men and 27.7% in women. The proportion of male smokers was 33.8% and female smokers 22.7%. The proportion of female smokers in the 25-34 year age group exceeded that of the remaining age groups for both men and women. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Gerona is relatively high for the low myocardial infarction incidence typical of the area, although similar to that of other Spanish areas. The factors that confer sufficient protection to compensate for the effect of the prevalence of these risk factors remain to be elucidated.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Asbestos lung burden and asbestosis after occupational and environmental exposure in an asbestos cement manufacturing area: a necropsy study.

OBJECTIVE: The largest Italian asbestos cement factory had been active in Casale Monferrato until 1986: in previous studies a substantial increase in the incidence of pleural mesothelioma was found among residents without occupational exposure to asbestos. To estimate exposure to asbestos in the population, this study evaluated the presence of histological asbestosis and the lung burden of asbestos fibres (AFs) and asbestos bodies (ABs). METHODS: The study comprises the consecutive series of necropsies performed at the Hospital of Casale Monferrato between 1985 and 1988. A sample of lung parenchima was collected and stored for 48 out of 55 necropsies. The AF concentration was measured with a TEM electron microscope with x ray mineralogical analysis. The ABs were counted and fibrosis evaluated by optical microscopy. The nearest relative of each subject was interviewed on occupational and residential history. Mineralogical and histological analyses and interviews were conducted in 1993-4. RESULTS: Statistical analyses included 41 subjects with AF, AB count, and interview. Subjects without occupational exposure who ever lived in Casale Monferrato had an average concentration of 1500 AB/g dried weight (gdw); Seven of 18 presented with asbestosis or small airway lung disease (SAL). G2 asbestosis was diagnosed in two women with no occupational asbestos exposure. One of them had been teaching at a school close to the factory for 12 years. Ten subjects had experienced occupational asbestos exposure, seven in asbestos cement production: mean concentrations were 1.032 x 10(6) AF/gdw and 96,280 AB/gdw. Eight of the 10 had asbestosis or SAL. CONCLUSION: The high concentration of ABs and the new finding of environmental asbestosis confirm that high asbestos concentration was common in the proximity of the factory. Subjects not occupationally exposed and ever living in Casale Monferrato tended to have higher AB concentration than subjects never living in the town (difference not significant). The concentrations of ABs and AFs were higher than those found in other studies on nonoccupationally exposed subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Interaction of family history of atherosclerosis with atherogenic lipid traits in men with non-coronary atherosclerosis.

Family history of atherosclerosis has been recognised as an nonmodifiable cardiovascular risk factor. Lipid levels, together with hypertension and diabetes, appear to have an inheritable component. The aim of the study was to ascertain whether lipoprotein abnormalities of 169 adult patients with non-coronary atherosclerosis were associated with a family history of atherosclerosis. Besides intermediate density lipopoprotein composition and Lp(a) levels, we focused on apo(a) and apo E phenotypes, LDL cholesterol/apo B ratio, VLDL triglyceride/HDL cholesterol ratio, and environmental factors. We found that patients with a family history of atherosclerosis had a higher prevalence of VLDL triglyceride/HDL cholesterol ratio above 1.8 (51.3% vs 34.7%) than patients without. Similarly, there was a significant inverse correlation between both considered ratios (r = -0.24, p < 0.05). The odds ratio of the presence of both abnormal ratios (4.60, 95% CI, 1.41-15.00) and low molecular weight apo(a) isoforms (3.30, 95% CI, 1.05-10.30 and family history of atherosclerosis was independent of smoking and hypertension. Apo(a) isoform size seems to be more important than Lp(a) concentrations in the family history of atherosclerosis risk determination. Subsequent analysis showed that patients with a family history of atherosclerosis had a greater-than-fourfold increased risk of having one or both abnormal ratios reflecting metabolic disturbances which probably constitute a combined trait. Family history of atherosclerosis may constitute a specific lipoprotein-related marker of atherosclerosis. Such a marker often precedes the onset of overt disease and may contribute to identifying patients with an atherogenic lipoprotein profile even in the absence of classical lipid risk factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Cellular proliferation, expression of p53, EGFR and apoptosis index of healthy mucosa of the bladder with TCC; pre- and post-intravesical BCG immunohistochemical study].

At present, the most efficacious and used immunostimulant agent in the superficial bladder cancer immunotherapy field, is the BCG, even if its mechanism of action is still partly unknown. The therapeutic effects of BCG don't seem to depend exclusively on local immune response, so that according to this assertion, this immunohistochemical study had been conducted on 14 patients affected by superficial bladder cancer (pTa-pT1) which aimed to value both the apoptosis and proliferation indexes and the expression of the genetic product p53 and EGFR before and after the exposition of the vesical mucosa to the BCG. The BCG treatment can reduce the proliferation index of the normal urothelial cells in a statistically significant way whereas it would exclude a cytostatic effect mediate by negative modulation of EGFR from the cytokinins induced by BCG itself. The index of apoptosis of the urothelium does not increase after BCG and decreased expression of p53 associated after the treatment, although statistically not significant, it would seem to bear, the prophylactic efficacy of BCG according to the follow up of the patients included in the study.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1997

[Acceptance of, compliance with and tolerance to antiretroviral treatment in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection].

BACKGROUND: The objective of the study is to assess the acceptance, compliance and side effects of antiretroviral therapy in relation to age, gender, risk group, HIV infection stage and type of treatment. METHODS: This is a cohort-observational study. Inclusion criteria were: consecutive non-selected IIV patients in which antiretroviral treatment was indicated on medical grounds. The study was carried out from February 1990 to February 1996. We measured: a) poor compliance, when suspicion (by medical history, analytical data and administered drug control by the hospital pharmacy) more than a 25% of prescribed treatment was not taken; b) adverse events that obliged to discontinued the drug; and c) long-term therapy, when treatment acceptance and compliance and regular follow-up was stated. Statistics methods: Ji-square and Student's t- test. RESULTS: 567 patients were included, with a median follow up of 609 days. Male 413, female 154. Mean age: 32.9 years. Average CD4+ cells: 0.260 x 10(9)/L. There was a history of intravenous drug use (IDU) in 60.4% of cases and CDC classification group C (1993) 34.2%. Antiretroviral treatment was refused by 16.6% of patients, more frequently IDU patients (21.3%, p < 0.0001). There was a drop-out rate of 17.3%, with no differences among different groups. Poor compliance was found in 23% of cases, more frequently in IDU and group-C patients. Adverse events were observed in 22.6% of cases, more frequently in female (33.8%, p < 0.0004) and group C patients (28.6%, p < 0.04). The treatments used (AZT monotherapy, DDI monotherapy, AZT DDI and AZT + DDC) had no influence on compliance or follow-up. Long-term follow-up and compliance was achieved in 47.6% of patients, with a lesser degree in IDU (42.4%, p < 0.002) and group C patients (39.7%, p < 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: HIV-infected patients treated with antiretroviral agents, not enrolled in clinical trials, had similar rates of compliance that patients with other chronic diseases. Treatment refusal and poor compliance were more frequent in IDU patients, while adverse events were more frequent in patients with more advanced HIV infection stage.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Late effects of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin immunotherapy on bladder mucosa infiltrating lymphocytes: an immunohistochemical study.

During intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) treatment for the prophylaxis of recurrent superficial bladder carcinoma, patients typically show a local inflammatory response involving mainly T lymphocytes, most of which have the helper-induced phenotype (CD4+) (CD4+/CD8+ ratio > 1). To evaluate whether this immunophenotypic profile of the lymphocytes persists also after the completion of this immunotherapy, we examined bladder biopsy specimens during the posttreatment follow-up period of 24 patients, previously submitted to a 2-year BCG administration. The intensity of inflammatory response differed among the patients and in 10 of them even between the scar and the normal mucosa of the bladder. A reversal to the pretreatment CD4+/CD8+ ratio < 1 occurred in the majority of subjects, including the 3 patients with histologically confirmed tumour recurrence. In addition, 11 tumour-free patients showed prevailing CD4+ cells in the scar mucosa and prevailing CD8+ in the normal mucosa of their bladder or vice versa. From these findings it appears that the long-term host response to BCG does not depend exclusively on an intense, long-lasting local mononuclear immune reaction.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMed1994

Risk factors for renal dysfunction after coronary surgery: the role of cardiopulmonary bypass technique.

We studied 316 patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass for coronary artery surgery in order to determine perioperative risk factors for postoperative renal dysfunction. A preliminary univariate analysis was performed by chi 2 analysis for categorical data and Mann-Whitney U-test for continuous variables to detect significant correlations between each risk factor and the occurrence of moderate or severe renal dysfunction. Subsequently, a multiple logistic regression was applied to the three risk factors identified as predictive for severe renal dysfunction. Low cardiac output syndrome and need for banked blood transfusions combined with a low haematocrit value during cardiopulmonary bypass increase the probability of severe renal dysfunction in the postoperative course.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Cell proliferation in breast carcinoma assessed by a PCNA grading system and its relation to other prognostic variables.

This study was undertaken to relate the expression of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a proliferation marker of putative prognostic significance, to some more established prognostic factors in a series of 60 consecutive breast cancer surgical specimens. PCNA was detected by the PC10 monoclonal antibody (MAb) using an immunohistochemical method and PCNA immunostaining was estimated on a semiquantitative basis, a cut-off value of 50% of positively stained tumour cells discriminating between the high (> 50%) and low (< 50%) PCNA grade. The PCNA grade did not correlate with tumour size and axillary node status. However, a high PCNA grade tended to be associated with a poor histological grade and there was an inverse relationship with oestrogen-receptor status, as determined by means of the immuno-histochemical staining for the oestrogen-induced pS2 protein. These conflicting results suggest that the possible prognostic usefulness of PCNA immunostaining, as a measure of cell proliferation rate, in breast cancer is yet to be demonstrated and can be validated only by direct relation to survival data.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗
PubMed1992

Cytologic diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma in serous effusions using an antimesothelial-cell antibody.

Differentiating mesothelioma, reactive mesothelium, and adenocarcinoma in serous effusions is often difficult, despite the application of ancillary techniques in support of the traditional cytomorphologic criteria. A polyclonal antimesothelial-cell antibody recently developed by our group was evaluated as a histogenetic marker on a series of primary (n = 12) and metastatic (n = 12) malignant effusions. Immunostaining was performed on paraffin sections from cell blocks. All mesothelioma effusions stained positive for the antibody, whereas, in contrast, all metastatic carcinoma specimens failed to react. These results (100 percent specificity and 100% sensitivity for mesothelioma) provide a basis for a reliable use of the antibody in the cytologic examination of suspicious or malignant serous effusions.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1992

Immunophenotypic characterization of the bladder mucosa infiltrating lymphocytes after intravesical BCG treatment for superficial bladder carcinoma.

The lymphocytes infiltrating the bladder mucosa of 28 patients treated with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for superficial bladder carcinoma were characterized using an immunohistochemical technique on frozen sections of biopsy specimens obtained during cystoscopy. The inflammatory response induced by BCG consisted mainly of T lymphocytes (CD3+), most of which had the helper/inducer phenotype (CD4+), with a CD4/CD8 ratio greater than 1. A minor subset of lymphocytes were of B phenotype (CD22+). These findings persisted for the whole follow-up period (6-12 months) in spite of a progressive decrease of the inflammatory infiltrate. No difference in the lymphocyte phenotype was observed between nonresponding patients and those who responded to BCG in the short term. It is concluded that, although intravesical BCG therapy does affect the immunocompetent cells of the bladder wall, the BCG-induced antitumor activity is unlikely to depend exclusively on a local immune mechanism.

Administration, Intravesical↗
PubMed1991

[Current role of hysterosalpingography in the assessment of female infertility: review of a series of cases].

The authors reviewed 463 hysterosalpingographies from a series of patients examined for primary infertility. 25.5% of them had been studied with echotomography and 4.1% with therapeutic and explorative laparoscopy. Hysterosalpingographic results were compared with positive findings at clinical examination and with various pathologic associations: the method proved to be extremely valuable in the diagnosis of the primary causes of female infertility, and even showed secondary, sometimes unsuspected, causes--e.g., iatrogenic and inflammatory. Moreover, high agreement (50%) was observed with echotomographic findings. The examination was carried out on an outpatient basis, and proved less dangerous and cheaper than other invasive techniques, its cost being more or less the same as that of US, which however is still the least dangerous and expensive method for the diagnosis of female infertility. Therefore, the authors suggest that diagnostic laparotomy be a second choice and be employed only in the cases where it can have therapeutic purposes. In all the extant cases, combined hysterosalpingography and US are still recommended.

Female↗
PubMed1990

A morphometrically-based classification rule for the diagnosis of primary mesothelial lesions.

A computer-aided morphometrical study was performed on histological specimens of reactive hyperplastic (n = 10) and malignant (n = 17) mesothelium. For each cell, seven nuclear features were measured and 13 parameters computed. Using stepwise variable selection, discriminant analysis chose the nuclear contour index, the standard deviation of the nuclear area, and the mean of the nuclear perimeter as discriminating features between hyperplastic and malignant mesothelium. The coefficients of these variables were included in a discriminant function which gave perfect discrimination between the two groups of lesions. When the function was assessed on a test set of hyperplastic (n = 10) and malignant (n = 17) mesothelial lesions treated as 'unknown', complete separation between these two diagnostic categories was achieved. This classification rule may help to increase the level of confidence with which a histological diagnosis of mesothelioma can be established.

Cell Nucleus↗
PubMed1990

[Lichen planus/lupus erythematosus overlap syndrome].

A patient, showing features of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) of the face and of lichen planus (LP) on the arms, is reported. The histopathology showed a typical LP on the dorsum of the hand and a DLE on the face, but direct immunofluorescence in both cases was more suggestive of LP.

Biopsy↗