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Biomedical subjects

P Bassi

Publications and source records attributed to P Bassi.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Measurement of TSAb directly in serum using FRTL-5 cells.

FRTL-5 cells were shown to be suitable for the measurement of thyroid stimulating antibody (TSAb) present in sera of patients with Graves' disease. Current methods for the assay of TSAb require the separation of immunoglobulin G (IgG) from patient sera. In this report the possibility to measure TSAb directly on serum was evaluated using FRTL-5 cells. To this purpose cells were seeded in 96-well plates and cultured for 4 days in medium deprived of TSH. Using this system bovine TSH was able to produce a significant stimulation of cAMP production at 1 microU/ml. Whole normal serum completely inhibited the stimulation of TSH as well as that of TSAb, while diluted serum was devoid of any effect. Heat inactivated sera and IgGs, prepared by DEAE Sephadex separation, were diluted in hypotonic medium and incubated with cells for 1 h at 37 C. After incubation cAMP was measured in the assay medium by RIA. In some experiments the effects of graded dilutions of sera and IgGs with known TSAb activity were compared. Sera as well as IgGs increased the cAMP production, but, at the highest concentrations, an inhibitory effect was evident. For this reason sera were tested after appropriate dilution. Thirteen/27 (48%) sera and 22/27 (81%) IgGs from patients with Graves' disease were TSAb positive. The effect of Graves' sera on adenylate cyclase stimulation was completely inhibited by an anti-human IgG. The results of stimulation produced by Graves' sera and IgGs were highly correlated (r = 0.97, p less than 0.001). In conclusion it is possible to measure TSAb directly in serum using FRTL-5 cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Therapeutical aspects of intrarenal artery aneurysms.

The relative infrequency of aneurysms of the branches of the renal artery produces some indecision as to the surgeon's therapeutical choice. The purpose of this study is to carefully examine the indications for surgical treatment and to select precise therapeutical criteria on the basis of 8 patients in whom aneurysms of the main renal artery or of its branches were diagnosed from 1978 to 1986. In 1 patient, the disease was bilateral with a ruptured main artery aneurysm. 5 aneurysms were treated surgically (the ruptured one by nephrectomy, 2 by ex situ revascularization and 2 by in situ revascularization). In the remaining cases, only periodical controls were performed. In 4 surgically treated patients, angiographic follow-up demonstrated a regular renal revascularization and in 1 patient a thrombosis on the site of the anastomosis. On the basis of personal experience, surgical treatment is required for aneurysms larger than 1.5 cm in size without or with partial calcification, aneurysms occurring in pregnant women or in patients likely to conceive in the future, expanding aneurysms, and renin-mediated hypertension. The introduction of microsurgical techniques and renal preservation makes it possible for the urologist to chose between various therapeutical means for the treatment of intrarenal aneurysms. Reconstruction of anatomical continuity of the arterial supply avoiding unnecessary operative demolishment is feasible.

Aneurysm↗

Bilateral single ectopic ureter.

A case of successfully treated bilateral single ectopic ureter with a follow-up of 13 years is reported. The genesis of the incompetence of the vesical sphincter and its treatment are discussed.

Choristoma↗

Prognosis of bladder cancer. III. The value of radical cystectomy in the management of invasive bladder cancer.

From January 1979 to June 1982, 141 consecutive patients with bladder transitional cell carcinoma were treated with a single stage lymphadenectomy plus radical cystectomy. The survival rate observed in our patients, based on the TNM classification, was comparable with that reported for other groups employing contemporary surgery. Survivorship for patients with deep invasive tumors was also estimated by breaking down the pT3 stage, and patients with tumor confined to the bladder wall (pT3a) were separately evaluated from those with tumor extended outside (pT3b). The results obtained with this subdivision showed that pT3a patients have almost the same survival rate as pT2 patients. From these results it is concluded that radical cystectomy is a satisfactory curative treatment of bladder cancer confined to the bladder wall, whatever the extension of the muscular involvement. Such considerations suggest that, in order to achieve a more objective analysis of the results after radical cystectomy for invasive bladder cancer, a modification of clinical staging is necessary. Moreover, a simplification of the classification methods should provide a better identification of the elements required to assess the prognosis and to improve treatment planning.

Adult↗

[Dissection of the internal carotid artery. Personal case reports and a review of the literature].

The clinical and angiographic features of 20 patients affected by internal carotid artery dissection are reported. In one patient the neurological signs were related to a traumatic event, in two cases the symptoms presented after hyperextension of the neck during athletic events, while their onset was apparently spontaneous in the remaining 17 patients. Plain CT was normal in 14 cases and positive for ischemic necrosis in 6 patients. Angiography demonstrated extensive/segmental stenosis of the internal carotid lumen in 12 cases (60%), pseudoaneurysmal dilatation in 3 cases (15%), and complete carotid occlusion in 5 patients (25%). The "double lumen" feature was seen in 3 cases at the origin of the dissection. One patient died, surgical ligature of the internal carotid artery was performed in two cases, while the other patients received medical treatment with platelet inhibitors, except for the young patient affected by post-traumatic artery dissection. Complete recovery was observed in 82% of the patients. Follow-up angiograms demonstrated normal recanalization of the internal carotid artery in 4 out of 6 patients; one of them had two false aneurysms which following angiograms demonstrated to be completely resolved. Regression of stenosis was observed in 6 of the remaining patients by Doppler US. On the whole, the recanalization of the internal carotid artery was observed in 59% of cases. Angiographic findings seemed not to play a decisive role in the prognosis of carotid dissections, which largely depends on the overall patient's condition and on the presence/absence of ischemic cerebral damages.

Adolescent↗

[The role of computerized tomography in the diagnosis of osteoid osteoma].

Radiological diagnosis of osteoid-osteoma is based upon conventional radiographic techniques, i.e. plain film and tomography, scintigraphy and Computed Tomography (CT). The authors report on the use of CT in 13 patients affected by histologically verified osteoid-osteoma, in different locations, as related to their main clinical and epidemiological signs. A comparison is made of the diagnostic contribution of the different techniques, including scintigraphy and tomography, when available. CT results were evaluated referring to fundamental semiologic elements, such as the presence of the nidus--with or without calcifications--of perilesional sclerosis, hyperostosis and periosteosis. As a rule, we can affirm that CT allows a better spatial location in the metaphysodiaphyso-epiphyseal areas, the only exception being represented by location in the metacarpal and phalangeal bones, which are better evaluated in the axial plane due to their thinness. CT is otherwise indispensable for a correct evaluation of the posterior vertebral arch.

Adolescent↗

[Preoperative embolization of angiomas of the face. Remote angiographic results].

Preoperative embolization was performed on 27 patients with facial angiomas supplied by the external carotid branches. Sixteen were males and 11 females; 13 of these angiomas were high-flow arteriovenous (A-V), 14 were low-flow capillary malformations. Fourteen patients underwent surgical removal after preoperative embolization; in this group embolization was carried out with Spongel in 3 cases and with Lyodura in 11 cases. In 12 of these patients the last angiographic examination was performed 3-6 years later: angiography evidenced no recurrence in 8 cases (67%), while in 3 cases (25%) there was capillary residual angioma of negligible size. Treatment was unsuccessful in one patient only, due to the large recurrent A-V angioma. Thirteen patients underwent embolization only, which was carried out with Lyodura in 10 cases, and with Ivalon in 3 cases. On 12 of these patients the last angiographic study was performed 2-14 months later: there was recurrent A-V angioma in 5 patients (42%), who underwent a subsequent embolization; angiography evidenced no recurrence in the other 7 patients (58%). In both series, the best results were obtained in the patients with low-flow capillary angiomas. Embolization and subsequent surgical removal are the treatment of choice for facial angiomas; embolization alone is useful in the management of surgically inaccessible vascular malformations, and it can be the only treatment in patients with small low-flow angiomas when distal occlusion of the feeding vessels with Lyodura or Ivalon particles is performed.

Adolescent↗

[Psychogenic retention of urine in women: diagnostic and therapeutic problems].

Psychogenic urinary retention is rare event. 6 cases are reported: diagnostic urologic and neurologic work-up is outlined. The final statement is the exclusion of rare or minimal neurogenic causes (silent disk prolapse, early multiple sclerosis and so on) and the evidence of cause-effect relationship between psychic trauma and starting of urinary symptoms are compulsory to join the diagnosis of psychogenic urinary retention.

Adolescent↗

Effect of oxygen free radicals on ubiquinone in aqueous solution and phospholipid vesicles.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the direct effect of oxygen free radicals produced by ultrasonic irradiation on ubiquinone and to compare the efficiency with which the antioxidant can compete with these radicals when it is both in aqueous solution and within the lipid bilayer. The main product obtained after insonation of aqueous solutions of ubiquinone-0 was ubiquinol, moreover some degradation occurred. The direct electron donor responsible for most of the ubiquinol generated by ultrasonic irradiation appeared to be superoxide radical. Addition reactions of hydroxyl radicals with aromatic ring structure led probably to degradation products of ubiquinone, which were not identified. Experiments were also performed to evaluate the efficiency with which ubiquinone-3 could react with oxygen radicals when it was within the lipid bilayer. The effect of presence or absence of a net surface charge was studied selecting a suitable bilayer including dimyristylphosphatidic acid or stearylamine in uncharged dimyristylphosphatidylcholine vesicles. In these systems hydroxyl radicals did not represent a potential danger for the antioxidant, the reaction between superoxide and ubiquinone-3 instead was significant only in positively charged membranes and gave rise to ubiquinol. It is suggested that ubiquinone acts as an antioxidant by stopping the propagation reaction.

Antioxidants↗

Effect of the hormonal contraception on serum reverse triiodothyronine levels.

Thyroid hormones and the thyroxine-binding globulin are increased during hormonal treatment with oral contraceptives without changes in the thyroidal economy. Now we report that even reverse triiodothyronine, the main peripheral catabolite of thyroxine, is significantly increased during therapy with oral contraceptives.

Adult↗

Advantage of desogestrel containing pill in oral contraception: influence on blood lipids and LCAT activity.

In the present study the effects of a combined oral contraceptive preparation containing 0.150 mg desogestrel and 0.030 mg ethinylestradiol on lipid metabolism were investigated. In particular, we observed significant increase in HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein-A-I (apo A-I) and B (apo B). Triglycerides were not significantly modified. The cholesterol esterifying enzyme LCAT, assayed under "maximal" conditions against an exogenous substrate, was significantly decreased despite an increase in the physiological stimulator apo A-I. No changes were observed in the anti-atherogenic indexes apo A-I/apo B and HDL-cholesterol/LDL-cholesterol. Thus, it appears that this combined oral contraceptive has the promising ability to increase the anti-atherogenic HDL-cholesterol particle without altering the atherogenic LDL-cholesterol.

Adult↗

Prognosis of bladder cancer. I. Risk factors in superficial transitional cell carcinoma.

A retrospective study was carried out on 200 consecutive superficial transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder in order to identify which factors could influence the recurrence and/or progression of the tumor. Many parameters were considered, such as stage, grade, number, size, site, tumor-free interval and bladder mucosa mapping. A careful histological study of the initial tumor was employed and the tumors confined to the stromal core of the papillary tumor (T1a) were separated from those with invasion of the lamina propria of the bladder wall (T1b). The behavior of the T1b lesions observed in our study will be discussed in a forthcoming article. Recurrence occurred in 83% of our patients, and it was influenced by number and grade of the tumor and by the presence of dysplasia in normal-appearing mucosa. In 20% of our patients tumor progression occurred. Tumor progression was correlated with invasion of the lamina propria of the bladder wall, high-grade neoplasias, tumor-free interval, dysplasia or carcinoma in situ in normal-appearing mucosa. The results of our study suggest that, by these risk factors, a better prediction of the behavior of superficial transitional cell carcinoma and, as a consequence, more appropriate treatment can be provided.

Carcinoma, Transitional Cell↗

Basal and forskolin-stimulated cyclic adenosine monophosphate in intact human platelets during the menstrual cycle.

In previous studies we observed modifications of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and adenylate cyclase activity in human endometrium during the menstrual cycle. In the present study our intension was to verify whether these modifications occur in isolated intact platelets. The results demonstrate that in nine normal women platelet cyclic adenosine monophosphate content varies during the menstrual cycle both in basal and in stimulated conditions (in vitro addition of forskolin). In fact, significantly higher levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate were consistently observed during the proliferative phase. These findings provide evidence that platelet cyclic adenosine monophosphate metabolism normally varies during the menstrual cycle, which suggests a possible involvement of this system in some important clinical events.

Adolescent↗

Amplification of nuclear DNA sequences during induced plant cell dedifferentiation.

Cell dedifferentiation has been induced in Vicia faba roots by removing the whole meristem (decapitation). When centrifuged to equilibrium in CsCl density gradient, the DNA from dedifferentiating tissues forms a heavier satellite, not occurring in the DNA from differentiated tissues. Most of the radioactivity after [3H]thymidine feeding is found in the satellite DNA. Its sequences have a well defined nuclear localization, as shown by in situ hybridization experiments. These results indicate amplification of G + C-rich nuclear DNA sequences during cell dedifferentiation.

Cell Differentiation↗