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Biomedical subjects

M Ruggeri

Publications and source records attributed to M Ruggeri.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Fibrinogen assays: a collaborative study of six different methods. C.I.S.M.E.L. Comitato Italiano per la Standardizzazione dei Metodi in Ematologia e Laboratorio.

This collaborative study, organized by the Hemostasis Subcommittee of C.I.S.M.E.L., evaluated the accuracy, precision, and comparability of the following six widely used fibrinogen assays: total clottable fibrinogen (Blombäck and Blombäck), clotting time (Von Clauss), turbidimetry (Ellis and Stransky), Chromotime System, prothrombin time (PT)-derived, and radial immunodiffusion (RID). The same frozen samples, with normal and high contents of fibrinogen, were examined in four laboratories. The methods were calibrated with an internal standard whose fibrinogen content was determined gravimetrically. Both the Von Clauss and the RID methods were reliable, accurate, and precise, if adequate calibration was used. The PT-derived method was highly reproducible, but had some problems with accuracy. We demonstrate that an adequate calibration procedure is indispensable for reliable fibrinogen measurements whatever method is used. Because neither the calibration procedures proposed by the manufacturers nor the use of lyophilized commercial plasmas is adequate for this purpose, we urge that an international standard for fibrinogen measurement be promptly established.

Calibration↗
PubMed1989

Consistency of responses to repeated DDAVP infusions in patients with von Willebrand's disease and hemophilia A.

The consistency in time of responses to separate desmopressin (DDAVP) infusions in patients with von Willebrand's disease (vWD) and mild or moderate hemophilia A has been the subject of limited investigation. We report here the results of a clinical study undertaken to test the consistency of responses to repeated DDAVP administrations in 22 patients with vWD and 10 with mild or moderate hemophilia A (time interval between first and last infusion ranging from 1 to 77 months; median, 13 months). In patients with vWD, 80% of cases showed a departure of less than 20% from the average VIII:C peak level calculated after the two infusions. A similarly consistent pattern was observed for bleeding times recorded 30 minutes after each infusion. In patients with hemophilia A, some infused on more than two instances, the departure from the average VIII:C peak level was less than 20% in nearly 70% of cases. A good within-family consistency was also demonstrated by analyzing data obtained from seven kindreds with vWD and two with hemophilia A. In conclusion, our study suggests that the pattern of responsiveness observed after a DDAVP test-infusion can be reliably used to decide the future clinical management of the individual patient and that a similar pattern of response is usually observed within the same kindred.

Deamino Arginine Vasopressin↗
PubMed1989

Clinical effectiveness of desmopressin in a case of acquired von Willebrand's syndrome associated with benign monoclonal gammopathy.

A case of acquired von Willebrand's syndrome (avWs) secondary to benign monoclonal gammopathy, is described, in which desmopressin (DDAVP) has proven effective repeatedly in preventing bleeding after tooth extraction. The laboratory pattern was similar to that of congenital type IA von Willebrand's disease. After DDAVP, prolonged bleeding time and factor VIII/von Willebrand factor activities were normalized. The disappearance rate of the elicited activities was similar to that observed in patients with congenital disease. This report adds to the scarce data concerning the haemostatic effectiveness of DDAVP in avWs and suggests that this agent might also be used in controlling or preventing bleeding in patients with the acquired disease, selected on the basis of their biological responsiveness to a test-infusion.

Deamino Arginine Vasopressin↗
PubMed1989

Drug treatment of panic disorder--a critical review of controlled clinical trials.

The clinical efficacy of drug treatment for panic disorder has been evaluated in several studies, especially in the last decade. In this paper we reviewed double-blind controlled clinical trials of antidepressants and benzodiazepines in the treatment of panic disorder. Tricyclic antidepressants (principally imipramine) and benzodiazepines were equally effective in reducing panic symptomatology. This evidence does not support the hypothesis that panic-related symptomatology is a psychopathological entity, requiring a specific antidepressant drug treatment. The combination of psychological therapy with drug treatment was associated with even better outcome. On the other hand, the efficacy of MAOI remains to be demonstrated. Better compliance with benzodiazepines may favor the clinical use of these drugs rather than antidepressants. However, more prospective controlled studies including follow-up examinations are required, in order to assess the risk/benefit ratio of these treatments after long-term therapy.

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗
PubMed1989

Vertebral needle biopsy with CT scan monitoring.

The authors report the method used and the results obtained in 42 vertebral needle biopsies with CT scan monitoring. Material sufficient for a positive histological diagnosis was obtained in 67% of the cases. Indications for the use of this method are conditioned by a suitable clinical and instrumental evaluation, and limited to cases where a histological monomorphous lesion or when en bloc resection are predicted. The need to follow precise rules in terms of technique and manual skill is emphasized.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Hyper-responsiveness to DDAVP for patients with type I von Willebrand's disease and normal intra-platelet von Willebrand factor.

Desmopressin (DDAVP) has gained wide acceptance as the drug of first choice in the treatment or prevention of haemorrhages in the majority of patients with von Willebrand's disease (vWd). However, data concerning the clinical effectiveness of DDAVP refer generally to mild vWd, with factor VIII and vW factor levels usually above 20% of normal. In 14 patients with type I vWd characterized by very low plasma levels of factor VIII coagulant activity (VIII:C) and vWf, measured as ristocetin cofactor activity (lower than 20% and 3% of normal respectively), but with a normal intraplatelet content of vWf, a test infusion of DDAVP (0.4 microgram/kg) elicited a very marked increase of VIII:C and vWf and normalized the bleeding time. All these patients subsequently underwent tooth extraction after DDAVP infusion. The incidence of bleeding was remarkably low, with only two minor late bleeding episodes easily stopped by repeating DDAVP infusion. Compared to the cases of type I vWd with unknown intraplatelet vWf content reported in the literature, this subgroup of patients had a more marked, albeit short-lived, increment of VIII:C and vWf.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Relative antigenicity in mice of H1N1, H3N2 and B strains present in inactivated influenza virus vaccines.

The results of a study on serum HAI and neutralizing antibodies induced in mice by whole influenza virus vaccines containing A/Brazil/11/78 (H1N1), A/Bangkok/1/79 (H3N2) and B/Singapore/222/79 viruses are reported. According to the GMT of HAI, the antigenic potency of the three vaccine strains appear to be different. The A/Brazil/11/78 antigen induced the lowest HAI antibody responses and the A/Bangkok/1/79 antigen the greatest. This behaviour, with a few exceptions, was noted regardless of the HA amount (0.08 microgram 0.4 microgram, 2 micrograms) of each strain present in the vaccine, the number of doses (one or two), or the kind of preparation (monovalent or trivalent). The data obtained with the neutralization test with vaccines with medium HA content are concordant with previous findings. On the basis of the ratios of the GMT of the neutralizing antibodies to the GMT of the HAI antibodies, it was concluded that the HAI antibodies to A/Bangkok/1/79 antigen possess, on the whole, a neutralizing activity that is higher than that found for the HAI antibodies to A/Brazil/11/78 and B/Singapore/222/79 strains. For the latter strains, the neutralizing activity increased after the second dose. The observation of the different degrees of antigenicity of the three vaccine strains suggests that, with currently used inactivated influenza virus vaccines containing equivalent amounts of all three antigens, the dosage should be taken into consideration when the vaccines are used for subjects lacking in previous exposure to vaccine strains.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Successful pregnancy in a woman with congenital factor XIII deficiency treated with substitutive therapy. Report of a second case.

A syndrome of marked fetal wastage is associated with congenital factor XIII deficiency in adult women. A previously unreported case of a woman with factor XIII deficiency is described, in which substitutive treatment with normal plasma or placental factor XIII concentrate permitted two normal pregnancies. Factor XIII activity was maintained above 1-2% with intermittent infusion of 300 ml to 450 ml of plasma every 14 days or of 500 units of concentrate every 21 days. This case confirms the only other case so far reported in which factor XIII substitutive therapy was able to permit a normal pregnancy in a woman with factor XIII deficiency and seems to suggest factor XIII to be involved in the process of annidation.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1985

Evidence for cholecystokinin-dopamine receptor interactions in the central nervous system of the adult and old rat. Studies on their functional meaning.

Evidence has been presented for the existence of interactions between CCK and DA receptors both in striatal and limbic membranes. A similar type of modulation by CCK-8 of DA receptors also exists after chronic neuroleptic treatment indicating that supersensitive DA receptors are also modulated by this peptide. As seen from simulation curves, CCK-8 increases the binding of [3H]DA agonists and reduces the binding of [3H]DA antagonists in striatal membranes, suggesting that CCK-8 may increase striatal DA transmission. Results of this type may underlie some of the non-neuroleptic effects of CCK-8. In the aged brain, the ability of CCK-8 to modulate DA antagonist binding sites is changed such that the binding of [3H]DA antagonists is increased. Thus, in the aged brain, receptor-receptor interactions may be altered, leading to a derangement of heterostatic mechanisms (mechanisms changing chemical transmission without interfering with synaptic homeostasis). It was also demonstrated that during aging there is a preferential disappearance of CCK-like immunoreactivity versus TH immunoreactivity in the nigral DA neurons, especially in the medially located nigral DA cells; furthermore, co-existence in the TH/CCK co-storing terminals in the nucleus accumbens was reduced during aging. Such alterations should also lead to changes in heterostatic regulation because the CCK co-modulation line controlling the DA receptors may be preferentially affected.

Aging↗
PubMed1985

[Congenital cytomegalovirus infections in a neonatal pathology unit].

In order to evaluate the incidence of congenital CMV infections we checked 200 babies in the special care baby unit of an obstetric clinic in Milan. In the same period 3779 babies were born in that clinic. Congenital CMV infection was diagnosed by virus isolation from urine specimens collected in the first week of life in two babies. One of them was asymptomatic, the other had the classical CID. Virological confirmation of a further CID observed in an infant hospitalized at that time in the unit was obtained. Different serological methods of congenital infections diagnosis, specific IgM, total IgM and IgA, rheumatoid factor determinations, were employed. Only the CMV-IgM ELA method didn't give false positive reactions and picked up 2 congenitally infected babies out of 3. From our data, we infer that the incidence of congenital CMV infection in the general milanese population might lie between 0.5-1% of live births. The level of seropositivity for CMV antibodies in the same population, as judged from the complement fixing antibodies determinations in the group of the mothers, was 87%.

Cytomegalovirus Infections↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fragile X expression in normal and mentally retarded subjects: effect of treatment with an antifolic agent.

Expression of the fragile site fra(X) (q27.3) in peripheral lymphocytes was evaluated in mentally retarded patients and in normal control individuals before and after administration of the antifolic agent trimethoprim for 7 days. This treatment was effective in converting the status of some individuals from fra(X)-negative to fra(X)-positive. However, the induced level of fra(X) expression was very low and not significantly different in patients and in control subjects and did not increase in those individuals where it was already present before treatment. These data support the contention that fra(X)(q27.3) is a common fragile site and that treatment in vivo with an antifolic agent is not effective in enhancing its degree of expression in vitro. Therefore, such treatment seems to be of no diagnostic value in those cases where the fra(X) syndrome is suspected clinically, but where there is no or very low cytogenetic expression of the fra(X).

Adolescent↗