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Biomedical subjects

M del Piano

Publications and source records attributed to M del Piano.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Detection of four Borrelia burgdorferi genospecies and first report of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected in central Italy.

The presence of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. and of Ehrlichia phagocytophila group was sought by PCR in Ixodes ricinus collected in a protected area of central Italy. Nymphs (n = 1475, gathered in 295 pools of 5 nymphs each) and adult ticks (n = 28) were examined. B. burgdorferi s.l. was detected in 13.8% of the nymph pools; of these, 63.4% were infected by B. valaisiana, 26.8% by B. afzelii, 7.3% by B. garinii, and 2.5% by B. burgdorferi s.s. Only a single adult male tick proved to host B. afzelii. The agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) was detected in 2.7% of the nymph pools. Two HGE agent-positive nymph pools were also found to be positive for B. garinii and for B. afzelii, respectively. This is the first report from central Italy of the finding of the HGE agent in ticks.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Prevalence of Chlamydia pneumoniae in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in Italian patients with acute ischaemic heart disease.

Chlamydia pneumoniae infection generally starts in the respiratory tract and probably disseminates systemically in the blood stream within alveolar macrophages. We investigated the prevalence of C. pneumoniae DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in patients with acute ischaemic heart disease. Samples of blood were obtained from 93 consecutive patients with acute ischaemic heart disease and from 42 healthy subjects, for detection of C. pneumoniae DNA in PBMC by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and for serology. C. pneumoniae DNA in PBMC was detected in 25.8% (24/93) of the patients with acute ischaemic heart disease and in 4.8% (2/42) of the healthy subjects (P=0.008). C. pneumoniae IgG was found in 76.3% of patients and in 45.2% of healthy subjects (P=0.0008) while C. pneumoniae IgA was found in 59.1% and in 33.3%, respectively (P=0.01). No correlation was found between anti-C. pneumoniae antibody titers and positive PCR results. The detection of C. pneumoniae DNA in PBMC may aid in selecting patients who may benefit from antibiotic treatment; however, to support this contention, longitudinal studies on patients treated with antibiotics would also be necessary.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and atherosclerotic coronary disease.

BACKGROUND: Previous works have suggested an association between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and coronary heart disease. We evaluated the prevalence of C. pneumoniae infection in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS AND RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients with AMI, 80 patients with CHD, and 50 control subjects matched for age and sex were investigated. Immunoglobulin (Ig)M, IgG, and IgA antibodies to C pneumoniae were measured by the microimmunofluorescence test. IgM antibodies were not found; IgG positivity was found in 58.2% of the AMI group, 60.0% of the CHD group, and 38% of the control group, whereas for IgA, positivity was found in 33.7%, 43.7%, and 22% of cases in AMI, CHD, and control groups, respectively. Titers indicating reinfection were found in AMI and CHD groups in 6.1% and 10%, respectively, whereas titers indicating chronic infection were found in 14% of the AMI group and 25% of the CHD group. A significant correlation was found between chronic C pneumoniae infection and dyslipidemias in the AMI and CHD groups (P =.003; P =. 0006). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that chronic C pneumoniae infection may be associated with the development of atherosclerotic coronary disease. In our next step, we will test whether antichlamydial antibiotics may help to reduce the risk of atherosclerotic disease.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

Asbestos hazards in the city of Rome, Italy.

A review is made of asbestos as a health hazard, and attention is drawn to possible dangers due to exposure to asbestos in the city of Rome in and outside the work place. The exposure to asbestos of workers of the ATAC company (the public concern of urban passenger transport of Rome) is examined. This is particularly dangerous for workers who repair equipment with asbestos components, such as brake linings. Exposure to asbestos may also occur in inhabitants who live and work close to where asbestos fibres collect. The study evaluates the contamination of asbestos fibres in both work and urban environment among people directly or indirectly exposed to this pollutant.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1988

Study on tissue concentrations of antibiotics: bacampicillin in gingiva and maxillary bones.

21 patients, whose age ranged from 17 to 60 years and who had not been previously treated with antibiotics or other drugs, received bacampicillin as a perioperative prophylaxis for minor operations in the oral cavity. Four oral doses of bacampicillin were administered: each dose of 800 mg every 12 h, and the last dose was administered 2 h before surgery. To assess bacampicillin serum concentrations two blood samples were collected from each patient: the first sample was obtained 1 h before surgery and the second one during surgery. Together with the second blood sample, small quantities of gingiva and bone were obtained from each patient to also assess the antibiotic concentrations in these tissues (microbiological method). The results show that bacampicillin reaches high concentrations in both the blood and tissues studied by us, and that a direct correspondence exists between blood and gingival and bone tissue concentrations. Furthermore, it should be noted that no postoperative infections developed in our patients. These results lead to the conclusion that bacampicillin appears to be a suitable drug in the therapy of dental infections.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

[Pathology in firemen].

Fire fighters' respiratory organs, circulatory system and muscular system are often exposed to considerable risks. In fact in addition to the most obvious external stress causes (heat, humidity, O2 decrement, CO2 increment, emotional stress) these workers use heavy equipments and carry people or things. Furthermore always present is the risk of poisoning by inhalation of toxic combustion gas of the fire atmosphere.

Acrolein↗
PubMed1976

[The coagulase test. I].

A syntetic review of data about the free coagulase and the clumping factor has been made. The importance of the test, the different methods, the possible reasons of mistake are discussed.

Agglutinins↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Pathology of bus drivers. I].

A short synthesis of data available on bus-drivers' pathology has been made and several features, related to work conditions, have been discussed taking in account their influence on health.

Automobile Driving↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Phage typing of the "Staphylococcus epidermidia" (author's transl)].

Serious infections due to hospital-transmitted Staphylococcus epidermidis strains have become more and more important and frequent. Therefore, a need for typing methods which characterize St. epidermidis strains for epidermiological purpose is increasing. Only a few data are available for the phage typing of those strains and the aim of our paper has been to set them up.

Bacteriophage Typing↗
PubMedDate not supplied

["Staphylococcus saprophyticus": a little known Staphylococcus (author's transl)].

Enzymatic patterns, antibiotic sensitivity, penicillinase, production, mercury ion resistance have been studied in St. saprophyticus strains in comparison with St. epidermidis, both isolate from urinary infections of hospital patients. The St. saprophyticus has shown to have a lower number of virulence factors, to be more sensitive to antibiotics and to have a lower potential epidemiological value.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗