Biomedical subjects

P Angelino

Publications and source records attributed to P Angelino.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Helicobacter pylori seropositivity in patients with unstable angina.

AIM: The pathogenesis of ischemic heart diseases has been correlated, on epidemiological and pathogenetic grounds, with infections by viruses and bacteria, including Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). THE AIM: of this study were to investigate the association of unstable angina (UA) with anti-H. pylori seropositivity in a case-control study and to search for the classic cardiovascular risk factors in both infected and uninfected patients. METHODS: We studied 32 consecutive patients (20 males, 12 females), mean age 65 years (range 42-89), with final diagnosis of UA. A total of 64 subjects (40 males, 24 females, mean age 65 years, range 42-89) admitted to the Emergency Care Unit, age and sex-matched, served as controls. The presence of hypertension, serum levels of cholesterol and glucose, plasma levels of fibrinogen, smoking habit and social class were investigated in all patients. Cases and controls were inhabitants of NorthWestern Italy, and had similar socioeconomic status as based on working place and on instruction level. H. pylori seroprevalence was assessed by the presence of antibodies (IgG) against H. pylori by means of a commercial enzyme immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Antibodies to H. pylori were found in 26/32 (81%) of the patients and in 34/64 (53%) of the controls (p=0.007); the odds ratio was 3.82 (95% confidence interval 1.27 to 12.04). Classical cardiovascular risk factors, such as socio-economic status, did not differ among patients with and without antibodies to H. pylori. CONCLUSION: Patients with unstable angina had a significantly higher seroprevalence of anti-H. pylori than the control population. Classical risk factors for ischemic heart disease, such as the indicators of socio-economic status, were equally distributed among infected or uninfected patients with UA.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Infection by Helicobacter pylori and acute myocardial infarction. Do cytotoxic strains make a difference?

The classical risk factors for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) fail to explain all the epidemiological variations of the disease. Among the risk factors recently reported, several infectious agents appear to increase the risk of AMI. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, a bacterium involved in duodenal and gastric ulcer, gastric cancer and MALT-lymphoma, seems to be strongly associated with AMI. More virulent (anti-CagA positive) strains of the bacterium are almost exclusively the causative agents of such diseases. To determine the prevalence of H. pylori infection and of virulent strains, a case-control study was conducted in a group of male patients with AMI. A group of patients consecutively admitted to the Emergency Care Unit served as controls. We studied 223 consecutive male patients, mean age 60.2 (range 40-79) years, admitted for AMI to the Coronary Care Units at Hospitals in two towns of Northern Italy, 223 age matched male patients (mean age 61.8, range 40-79 years) admitted to the Emergency Care Unit, served as control. H. pylori seroprevalence was assessed by presence of antibodies (IgG) against H. pylori and anti-CagA in circulation. Among the patients we investigated the presence of hypertension, levels of cholesterol and glucose in serum, fibrinogen in plasma and smoking habits. H. pylori infection was present in 189/223 (84.7%) of the patients and in 138/223 (61.8%) of the control population (p < 0.0001 OR 3.42 [IC 95% 2.12-5.54]). The anti-CagA antibodies were detected in 33.8% of infected patients with AMI (64/189) versus 26.8% in the control subjects (37/138) (p:0.17, OR 1.40 [IC 95% 0.84-2.33]). Classical risk factors for AMI did not differ among patients with and without H. pylori infection. Patients admitted to the Coronary Care Unit for acute myocardial infarction had a notably higher prevalence of anti-H. pylori not restricted to virulent strains, when compared to a population of patients referred to the Emergency Care Unit. The classical risk factors for coronary disease were present in the patients with AMI irrespective of H. pylori status.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

[Percutaneous tricuspid valvuloplasty].

The authors herein describe the case of a 44 year old woman, who 14 years ago underwent surgical intervention after a rheumatic disease. A double mitral-aortic valvular implantation and a tricuspid commissurotomy was carried out. The patient come under our observation for severe congestive heart failure, while both mechanical prostheses were working well. Furthermore, the Doppler echocardiography showed a severe tricuspid stenosis (mean gradient = 8.6 mm Hg) and a concurrent mild to moderate valvular regurgitation. Because of her poor clinical condition and due to the high surgical risk it was decided to perform a balloon valvuloplasty of the tricuspid stenosis. The procedure, using the percutaneous femoral approach, was carried out with a TRIAD-TWIN AT (diameter = 18 + 18 mm; length = 4 cm; Mansfield) catheter and an Amplatz guide wire was advanced up to the apex of the right ventricle. Both balloons were inflated simultaneously on three occasions to a maximum pressure of 3.5 atmospheres for 60". At the end of the procedure there was the complete disappearance of telediastolic gradient, the valvular regurgitation remained unchanged (when compared to the pre-valvuloplasty control) and the mean trans-tricuspid gradient reduced to 4 mm Hg. Immediately following the procedure there was a remarkable, rapid hemodynamic improvement of the patient and at three months her condition is constant. In conclusion tricuspid valvuloplasty even using the percutaneous femoral approach can be performed and considered a simple and effective treatment.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

[Preclinical left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in insulin-dependent diabetes].

BACKGROUND: Isolated alterations of the left ventricular diastolic function have been described in diabetic insulin-dependent patients (IDDM), even in the absence of old age, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, left ventricular hypertrophy. Such alterations have been associated with microangiopathy but it is not known whether it is reversible or if there is a relation with the way the therapy is given. METHODS: Fifty-five subjects have been studied, of which 15 were healthy, 30 recently diagnosed IDDM without microangiopathy and 10 IDDM with microangiopathy. All the patients were under 35 years old and did not present risk factors for coronary artery disease, hypertension or autonomic neuropathy. The maximal exercise stress test proved negative. The diastolic function was studied using the results of Doppler echocardiography of the mitral flow and of isovolumetric relaxation time, with continuous and discrete parameters. RESULTS: The velocity of wave A and E, the relationship between them and their integrals are significantly greater in diabetics with microangiopathy than in those without it and in healthy subjects. There are no significant differences between healthy and diabetic subjects without microangiopathy using continuous parameters. Using discrete parameters diastolic damage is absent in the healthy subjects and is present in 48% of diabetics without microangiopathy and in 90% of those with it. CONCLUSIONS: Slight preclinical diastolic dysfunction is present in young recently diagnosed IDDM without microangiopathy. More severe dysfunction is present when there is also microangiopathy.

Adult↗