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Biomedical subjects

P A Bonini

Publications and source records attributed to P A Bonini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Detection of HIV-1 proviral sequences in lymphocytes using a qualitative polymerase chain reaction assay.

The performance and clinical relevance of a qualitative PCR-based assay for the detection of HIV-1 DNA sequences in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was evaluated by two different laboratories. Four hundred and one samples were obtained from 397 individuals from different risk populations. All blood donors tested had negative results; positive signals were obtained from all infected patients. HIV-1 DNA was detected in 3 of 17 infants born to seropositive mothers; Western blot indeterminate blood donors and exposed health-care workers had negative results. Our results demonstrate that this PCR assay provides both sensitive and specific results and is suitable for testing large numbers of samples and for rapid identification of HIV-1 infection.

Base Sequence

Open-chain peptides obtained by acidic hydrolytic cleavage of cyclosporin A.

Hydrolysis of cyclosporin A (CsA) was studied in order to clarify the still undefined point of attack of the acidic degradation. Among ether extractable and water-soluble products formed from CsA in HCl, two open-chain peptides were isolated by high-performance liquid chromatography which were identified as the deca- and nonapeptides deriving from CsA through the hydrolytic cleavage of amino acid residue 11 and both residues 11 and 10, respectively. Identification was carried out by fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry.

Amino Acid Sequence

High-performance liquid chromatographic method for measuring hydroxylysine glycosides and their ratio in urine as a possible marker of human bone collagen breakdown.

Glucosyl-galactosyl-hydroxylysine (GGHYL) and galactosyl-hydroxylysine (GHYL) are constituents of collagen protein. The ratio of the two hydroxylysine glycosides varies with the collagen type and, moreover, for a given collagen type, it also varies according to the connective tissue. For example, in type I collagen (the most abundant in the body), the GGHYL/GHYL ratio tends to be greater in soft connective tissues and lower in bone. The hydroxylysine glycosides are not recycled during collagen turnover and are excreted in the urine. Therefore, the urinary GGHYL/GHYL ratio, which reflects the proportion of the two metabolites in the various collagens, may indicate the type of connective tissue affected by pathological turnover, and may thus be a promising marker of bone metabolism. In this paper a method is described for the measurement of urinary hydroxylysine glycosides by reversed-phase liquid chromatography after purification of the sample by solid-phase extraction. The method presented is analytically reliable and suitable for routine use in a clinical laboratory.

Adult

Determination of serum glucose by isotope dilution mass spectrometry: candidate definitive method.

We report a rather simple method to determine glucose concentration in serum, using isotope dilution mass spectrometry and [13C6]glucose as internal standard. The procedure involves a single step of sample purification and the conversion of the analyte into its aldononitrile pentaacetate. The between-day and within-day contribution to total variance for a single measurement was determined by assaying Standard Reference Material (SRM) 909 serum. The method was then applied to measurement of glucose concentration in three lyophilized sera: SRM 909 and two other commercially available sera. In the two studies, the concentration of SRM 909 serum was found to be 0.8% above and 0.3% below the reported value (6.25 mmol/L), respectively; the overall coefficient of variation for determinations in all sera ranged from 0.37% to 0.56%. The precision and the accuracy of the method satisfy the requirements for a Definitive Method.

Blood Glucose

Total urinary hydroxyproline determined with rapid and simple high-performance liquid chromatography.

A precolumn derivatization method was optimized for rapid and specific analysis of total urinary hydroxyproline by HPLC. After an overnight hydrolysis, urine samples dried and reconstituted with the internal standard cysteic acid (in sodium hydrogen carbonate, pH 9.3) were derivatized with N,N-diethyl-2,4-dinitro-5-fluoroaniline (FDNDEA) at 100 degrees C for 20 min. The DNDEA-hydroxyproline adduct was separated on an Ultrasphere ODS column with a mobile phase of acetate buffer (containing triethylamine, 6 mL/L, pH 4.3) and acetonitrile (80/20, by vol), and was detected at 360 nm. A single run took 18 min with a hydroxyproline retention time of 7.3 min. The assay showed a linear response to hydroxyproline concentrations from 5 to 100 mg/L with a detection limit of 0.8 ng injected, corresponding to 2 mg/L in urine. Mean (SD) analytical recovery was 94.2 (13)% and 104 (9)% at 10 and 50 mg/L, respectively. Within-run and between-run CVs (n = 10) were 3.74% and 4.33%, respectively, for 25 mg/L. Results for samples (n = 50) analyzed by HPLC (y) vs ion-exchange chromatography with postcolumn ninhydrin reaction (x) correlated well: y = 0.98x + 1.02 (r = 0.985, Sxy = 3.13). In another comparison, involving 173 samples, a colorimetric procedure (Hypronosticon, x) gave slightly higher values than the HPLC method (y): y = 0.83x + 2.21 (r = 0.937, Sxy = 4.6).

Aniline Compounds

Tumor-associated trypsin inhibitor as a possible marker in male infertility.

The concentrations of tumor-associated trypsin inhibitor (TATI) in the seminal plasma of infertile males was studied. The TATI levels in seminal plasma were not correlated with either sperm count or ejaculate volume. High levels were observed in some men with unexplained infertility and high or normal sperm counts, whereas normal levels were observed in males with antisperm antibodies. The concentrations in seminal plasma were stable in the same subjects. These results suggest that TATI may be an important marker of reproductive pathology in men.

Adult

Tumor-associated trypsin inhibitor in induced and acquired immunodeficiency. Studies on transplanted and HIV-infected patients.

A new tumor marker, tumor-associated trypsin inhibitor (TATI), was studied in 5 patients who received successful kidney or pancreas grafts and in 30 subjects with antibodies against human immunodeficiency virus. Serum TATI concentrations were very high during the four first days after transplantation. Thereafter the serum levels decreased when the peptide was eliminated through the kidney. Consequently, the urine values were very high. The TATI concentrations of HIV positive subjects were compared with serum levels of HIV antigen and antibody, by Western blotting and determination of peripheral T-lymphocyte subpopulations. The occurrence of high concentrations of TATI in some HIV positive subjects and especially in AIDS patients, suggests that TATI could be useful in exploring physiopathological aspects of severe immunodeficiencies even if TATI levels were not correlated with the commonly used markers of the immune system status. The increased levels of TATI in immunological disorders suggests its possible use in assessing the immune response against cancer.

AIDS-Related Complex

Detection of a case of pseudolymphocytosis due to cryoglobulins.

A new type of interference of cryoglobulins on hemocytometric tests is described. The precipitation of temperature-dependent proteins produced a pseudolymphocytosis on a three-part differential leukocyte count of Coulter S-Plus VI, whereas unaffected results, identical to the microscopical count, were obtained using the cytometer Coulter VCS. The laboratory detection of cryoglobulin interference on hematological data is very important in patients with underlying diseases, where the accuracy of absolute and differential leukocyte counts is critical for follow-up. Histograms from the Coulter S-Plus VI can help detect these cases.

Aged

Antibody against EBV in CSF from HIV-1 and HTLV-I infected patients.

We have measured the levels of antibody (ab) against different Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antigens in 10 AIDS patients, 7 HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) patients and 20 control subjects. We found comparable serum levels of anti-EBV ab between AIDS patients, HAM/TSP patients and control subjects. By contrast, anti-EBV ab were present in the large majority of CSF from AIDS patients (70%) and HAM/TSP patients (60%) but only in 15% of control group. Our results support a synergistic role of EBV in retroviral infections of the central nervous system.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Determination of creatinine in serum and urine by a rapid liquid-chromatographic method.

We describe an HPLC ion-pair procedure for rapid and specific evaluation of creatinine in serum and urine. We used a 15 cm X 4.6 mm ODS column with a 50/50 (by vol) mixture of sodium decanesulfonic acid (10 mmol/L, pH 3.2) and methanol and measured absorbance at 236 nm. Serum (100 microL) or 30-fold-diluted urine (100 microL) was added to 400 microL of acetone. After centrifugation, the supernates (300 microL) were dried, reconstituted with the mobile phase, and injected into the HPLC. Assay precision was tested for concentrations of 10, 29, and 130 mg/L and yielded, respectively, 3.1%, 2.1%, and 1.1% for within-day CV and 2.8%, 2.1%, and 2.2% for total CV. Analytical recovery was 102 (+/- 6.7%). Linearity was demonstrated in the 0-200 mg/L range for serum and 0-3.5 g/L range for urine (r greater than or equal to 0.999). The detection limit for creatinine (signal-to-noise ratio = 3) was 0.5 mg/L. We used cimetidine for internal standardization. Correlation was good between this procedure and the Jaffé kinetic, the enzymatic (creatinine amidohydrolase), and the Fuller's earth alkaline picrate methods.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid

Pre-column derivatization of amino acids with N,N-diethyl-2,4-dinitro-5-fluoroaniline and reversed-phase liquid chromatographic separation.

A new method for the separation and quantification of primary and secondary amino acids by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometric detection is described. The use of the novel derivatizing reagent N,N-diethyl-2,4-dinitro-5-fluoroaniline yields derivatives that are more stable to light and heat in solution than the traditional ones. A simple gradient between acidic acetate buffer and acetonitrile allows the complete separation of 21 amino acids in 80 min at room temperature. The good reproducibility of peak areas and retention times allows the application of this simple and low-priced method to the determination of amino acids in the range 50-500 pmol per residue.

Amino Acids

Detection of cryoglobulins by Coulter Counter model S-Plus IV/D.

Cryoglobulins may produce interference in results from electronic particle counters. Depending on their size, cold-precipitable globulin crystals can be counted as leucocytes and/or platelets. The Coulter Counter model S-Plus IV/D permits detection of this interference and its associated spurious counts by producing a characteristic WBC histogram accompanied by a leucocyte 'flag'. Using this instrument over a 1-year period, 10 cases of cryoglobulinaemia were detected, four from patients with lymphoproliferative disease and one from a patient with autoimmune disease. The remaining five were classified as essential mixed cryoglobulinaemia. The reproducibility of this instrument anomaly permits identification of the presence of cryoglobulins.

Cryoglobulinemia

EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopaenia: a 12-month epidemiological study.

The phenomenon of in vitro platelet clumping and consequent pseudothrombocytopaenia in the presence of EDTA has been studied in 33,623 subjects referring to a general hospital in a 1-year period. The observed frequency was 0.13%. EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopaenia (PTP) was suspected when a routine blood counting by the Coulter S-Plus IV/D showed a peculiar leucocyte histogram and pseudoleucocytosis. Confirmation was obtained by the manual count and by the finding of platelet aggregates in a stained blood smear. EDTA-dependent PTP was diagnosed when the platelet number and the morphological examination of blood anticoagulated with sodium citrate from the same patient were normal. EDTA-dependent PTP was found in 23 subjects aged from 19 to 79 years (0.068% of the study population): 17 were patients suffering from miscellaneous diseases, while six were apparently healthy. As a rule, platelet clumping was evident within 60 minutes from blood collection, but a longer latency (2-3 h) was observed in a few cases. EDTA-dependent PTP is a rare, but misleading phenomenon, the recognition of which is important in order to avoid expensive and potentially harmful procedures.

Adult

Determination of serum cholesterol on the Reflotron (BBR) dry chemistry analyser. Assessment of accuracy.

This investigation is aimed at assessing the accuracy of S-cholesterol determination by means of the Reflotron, an analytical system based upon the dry chemistry approach. Two sets of sera, one of them including specimens with elevated concentrations of urea, creatinine, glucose, urate or bilirubin, were assayed in parallel with the Refloton system, with a class-A "reference" method (including alkaline hydrolysis and extraction) and with a routine liquid chemistry enzymatic method. Results for both sets of sera indicated good agreement of the tested system with the routine method, whilst a small proportional negative bias was observed in comparison with the "reference" method. The use of the reference method as a basis for comparison allows more conclusive statements about accuracy to be made.

Autoanalysis