Biomedical subjects

Marco Brogi

Publications and source records attributed to Marco Brogi.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Cystatin C reference values and aging.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the reference values for serum cystatin C (CysC) with a particular focus on the effect of aging. DESIGN AND METHODS: The study was performed on a consecutive series of subjects (258 men and 396 women). Laboratory parameters and a detailed personal and family medical history were collected. RESULTS: CysC showed a significant correlation with age in both sexes, which was confirmed with multivariate linear regression after adjustment for SCr (serum creatinine). Age-related reference intervals were established for cystatin C (<45 years, <0.95 mg/L and >45 years, <1.20 mg/L). CONCLUSIONS: The use of CysC reference values adjusted for age should be carefully taken into consideration.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Fractal analysis of monocytes in diabetes.

Fractal dimension of pericellular membrane of monocytes was evaluated in diabetic patients and in control subjects. Monocytes were collected from normal healthy volunteers (n = 6) and from diabetic (type 1 and type 2) patients (n = 9). Monocytes from healthy volunteers were also stimulated in vitro with the ionophore A23187 or with the oligopeptide FMLP. Monocytes, obtained by Ficoll-Hypaque, were examined with a Philips 300 transmission electron microscope. The cell contour was extracted, resized to a standard dimension and converted to a single pixel outline. Box-counting method was then applied to determine the fractal dimension. Fractal dimensions of monocytes appeared statistically increased in diabetic patients (type 1 and type 2), compared with sex- and age-matched controls (p < 0.01, p < 0.01). The mechanism underlying the observed increased complexity of pericellular membrane may be explained by the in vivo activation of the circulating monocyte in diabetes. In effect, fractal analysis of stimulated in vitro monocytes showed a significant increase of complexity of pericellular membrane, compared with their controls (p < 0.001). Our approach was able to assess and quantitatively evaluate in diabetic patients morphological modifications of the monocyte linked to its activation, offering new parameters useful to follow the effects of therapeutical procedures.

Cell Membrane↗

PubMed2003

Plasma adiponectin and hyperglycaemia in diabetic patients.

The insulin-sensitising adipose hormone adiponectin is reduced in type 2 diabetic patients. We assessed the relationships between plasma adiponectin and chronic hyperglycaemia. Adiponectin levels and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) were measured at enrolment and after 90 days in 16 patients with type 2 diabetes aged (mean +/- SEM) 63.0 +/- 0.6 years, with body mass index (BMI) 30.2 +/- 0.5 kg/m2 and HbA1c concentration 7.4 +/- 0.1%, who did not modify their hypoglycaemic treatment during the observation period. Furthermore, plasma adiponectin was measured in 29 adult patients with type 1 diabetes and compared with 29 control subjects matched for sex, age, BMI, waist circumference and bioimpedance-estimated fat mass. In type 2 diabetic patients at enrolment, adiponectin concentration correlated with BMI (r = -0.46; p < 0.05), but not with HbA1c. During the prospective observation, variations of adiponectin showed a significant correlation with variations of BMI (r = -0.47; p < 0.01), but not with variations of HbA1c concentration. These results were confirmed by multivariate analysis after adjustment for sex and age. Adiponectin levels in type 1 diabetic patients (380.8 +/- 13.7 ng/ml in women, 192.5 +/- 13.9 ng/ml in men) were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than in control subjects (277.6 +/- 11.0 ng/ml in women, 102.7 +/- 5.1 ng/ml in men); plasma adiponectin correlated significantly with BMI and waist circumference, but not with HbA1c. In conclusion, the reduction of plasma adiponectin levels in type 2 diabetic patients does not appear to be determined by chronic hyperglycaemia. Adiponectin levels are increased in type 1 diabetes, but this phenomenon is not attributable to differences in nutritional status or body composition.

Adiponectin↗

PubMed2003

In situ detection of telomeres by fluorescence in situ hybridization and telomerase activity in glioblastoma multiforme: correlation with p53 status, EGFR, c-myc, MIB1, and Topoisomerase IIalpha protein expression.

Aberrations of genes/proteins regulating cell cycle and growth, increased proliferation and telomerase activity (TA) are documentable in glioblastoma multiforme. TA is more frequently detectable in secondary glioblastoma, which is also characterized by p53 mutation/overexpression. Discordant telomere (Te) length values have been reported in glioblastomas with and without TA. In 31 glioblastomas, in which pre-existing astrocytoma was not documented, we compared cases with and without TA for the expression of p53, EGFR, c-Myc, MIB-1 and Topoisomerase IIalpha; p53 mutations were also investigated by SSCP-PCR. Correlations were made with Te parameters [TePs: number (TeNo), length and area] as evaluated by image analysis in interphase nuclei of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-processed sections. We found no differences in the expression of the proteins evaluated and in TePs, except Te/nuclear area %, which was significantly lower in TA+ cases (p=0.02). TePs were, instead, inversely correlated with TA (p=0.0001). TA was positively correlated with MIB1 staining index in the TA+ cases (p=0.033), which also showed a positive correlation between TeNo and EGFR expression (p=0.042), and a trend towards a negative correlation between TeNo and p53 expression (p=0.05). Tumors overexpressing EGFR had a significantly shorter lifetime (p=0.0001). TeNo seems to be inversely correlated to tumor proliferation and lifetime in glioblastoma multiforme.

Acid Phosphatase↗