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Biomedical subjects

Q Mela

Publications and source records attributed to Q Mela.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

[Acromegalic arthropathy].

Six acromegalic patients, three males (aged 28 to 48 years) and three females (aged 57 to 75 years), with GH-producing pituitary adenoma, were studied through clinical examination, laboratory and instrumental tests. In all the patients frequent involvement of large joints, with crepitus and provoked pain, was found; while articular mobility was normal especially in the dorso-lumbar spine, a frequent seat of pain. Radiology showed typical features of an osteoarthritic process with characteristic widening of articular spaces, especially in weight-bearing large joints in symptomatic patients. The evolution of this arthropathy lead to anatomo-clinical pictures almost indistinguishable from osteoarthritis; however, in the early stages, the marked cartilaginous hypertrophy is responsible for peculiar anatomo-radiological pictures, principally represented by widening of articular spaces and intervertebral discal spaces, especially in the dorso-lumbar spine. As far as bone metabolism is concerned, neoproduction and reabsorption, both increased, proceed simultaneously; bone mass reduction is described in some segments. In our study, the two patients with active acromegaly showed bone mass reduction in the lumbar spine.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1993

[Ocular involvement in rheumatoid arthritis].

The authors evaluated ocular involvement in 23 patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) according to ARA criteria. Slit-lamp biomicroscopic examination showed signs of keratoconjunctivitis sicca in one patient (4%), while a positive bilateral Schirmer test was found in six subjects (26%). Fluorescein angiography, carried out in 11 of the 23 RA patients, showed retinal vasculitis in 18% of the patients examined, even if no clinical and ophthalmoscopic signs of retinal vessel inflammation were present. The authors suggest that fluorescein angiography should be performed in patients affected by particularly active RA, with recent onset of the disease (< 12 months), high titres of classical IgM rheumatoid factor and raised concentrations of circulating immune complexes. The study confirmed moreover the uncommon ocular toxicity related to the drugs frequently employed in RA treatment (antimalarials, gold salts, glucocorticoids). Indeed, only one case (4%) of posterior subcapsular cataract clearly related to steroid therapy was found.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Physical activity and osteoporosis].

The aim of the present research was to underline the importance of physical activity in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Therefore the authors considered age-related bone loss and the value of weight-bearing exercise on bone-remodeling. Moreover the authors examined current world literature on physical exercise in post-menopausal age and bone mineral content in athletes, reporting their study's results.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Serum and urine ferritin in patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Erythrocyte, serum and urine ferritin concentrations were evaluated in 20 patients suffering from transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder and in 20 healthy men. No clinical or biochemical signs of liver disorders, chronic inflammatory states or infections were present in both the patients and the controls. Our results showed no significant difference in the erythrocyte ferritin concentration in both groups. On the contrary there was a statistically significant difference in mean serum (p less than 0.05) and urine (p less than 0.01) ferritin concentration between the two groups. The mean serum ferritin concentration in the patients was 102.23 +/- 63.38 ng/ml while it was 258.41 + 250.68 ng/ml in normal subjects. The mean urine ferritin concentration was 6.30 +/- 5.35 ng/ml in normal subjects and 22.66 +/- 25.59 ng/ml in patients with bladder cancer. Our data seem to demonstrate that the assessment of the ferritin either in the serum or preferably, in the urine, could become an interesting tumoral marker for bladder cancer.

Carcinoma, Transitional Cell↗
PubMed1990

Peripheral red blood cell survival invariance during pefloxacin treatment in subjects with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.

In order to evaluate the possible damaging effect of pefloxacin on erythrocytes in subjects with G-6-PD deficiency, a trial on red-cell survival was carried out using a 51Cr-labelled peripheral red blood cell technique. Eight men, aged 52 to 64 years, with osteoarthrosis and G-6-PD deficiency (Mediterranean type) were treated with 800 mg/day pefloxacin. Pefloxacin did not modify red cell survival in the subjects under study. In all subjects erythrocyte GSH levels were investigated in baseline conditions and also after incubation with increasing doses of pefloxacin. No significant change in erythrocyte GSH levels was observed after incubation with therapeutic doses of pefloxacin.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Tolerability of tiaprofenic acid in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is an X-linked genetic disorder which can lead to acute haemolytic anaemia following ingestion of fava beans and the administration of certain drugs, mainly in subjects with bacterial or viral infections. It is common in the Mediterranean region and many variants are found in Sardinia. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vivo if treatment with tiaprofenic acid 600 mg daily for 15 days would reduce erythrocyte GSH (reduced glutathione) concentrations and thus produce erythrocytolysis (assessed by evaluation of 51Cr-labelled erythrocyte survival) in subjects with G6PD deficiency. GSH concentrations were also evaluated in vitro after incubation of G6PD-deficient erythrocytes with increasing doses of tiaprofenic acid (20, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/L) and with acetylphenylhydrazine 5 mg. The results obtained both in vitro and in vivo confirmed the absence of any oxidative action of tiaprofenic acid on the erythrocytes of G6PD-deficient subjects.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Iron overload and lysosomal stability in beta zero-thalassaemia intermedia and trait: correlation between serum ferritin and serum N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase levels.

Increased iron storage represents a characteristic condition in patients with beta zero-thalassaemia intermedia. Iron overload is an important factor in cellular damage. Recent studies have shown an enhanced lysosomal fragility due to increased iron storage. 13 patients with beta-thalassaemia intermedia, aged 17-44 years, were studied. Both serum ferritin and serum N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase levels were evaluated in all subjects studied. A significant linear correlation (P less than 0.05) between serum ferritin and serum N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase levels were found.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗
PubMed1984

Safety of flurbiprofen in subjects with G-6-PD deficiency. In vivo and in vitro results.

The safety of flurbiprofen, a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug was tested in individuals with G-6-PD deficiency. The study was carried out in vitro evaluating the erythrocyte levels of reduced glutathione under basal conditions and after incubation with the drug or acetylphenyl-hydrazine. In the red cells marked with 51Cr, survival was evaluated in vivo before and during flurbiprofen administration. The study shows that flurbiprofen has no oxidating activity in carriers of the G-6-PD Mediterranean variant.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

[Quantitative evaluation of HbA2. Comparison of 3 methods].

Two electrophoretic tests and one based on column chromatographic method have been studied for quantitative and qualitative evaluation of HbA2. Results of 1069 assays demonstrated a satisfactory qualitative resolution for the three methods but for the best quantitative precision, the test of choice is the chromatographic one.

Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose↗