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Biomedical subjects

R Balestreri

Publications and source records attributed to R Balestreri.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Vascular dementia Italian sulodexide study (VA.D.I.S.S.). Clinical and biological results.

In order to evaluate the biological effects on some haemostasis factors of antithrombotic-hemorheological treatments on patients with vascular dementia, a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, study comparing sulodexide (Sdx, 50 mg bid orally for 6 months) and pentoxifylline (Ptx, 400 mg tid orally for six months) was carried out. Eighty-six patients, 46 in Sdx group, 40 in Ptx group, fulfilling the NINDS-AIREN criteria for probable vascular dementia were evaluated. Plasma fibrinogen levels showed a significant reduction in both groups, in patients with high basal levels (> or = 350 mg/dl), the reduction being earlier in Sdx group (2nd month of therapy) than in Ptx group (4th month of therapy). In Sdx group a significant reduction in factor VII-Ag (baseline 102.8 U/dl; 6th month 90.1 U/dl) was also observed. Both drugs induced a slight reduction in activated factor VII levels as well. A parallel improvement of G.B.S. Rating Scale for dementia scores was observed in Sdx group. These results seem to indicate that sulodexide treatment can have positive effects in vascular dementia.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1995

Posatirelin for the treatment of late-onset Alzheimer's disease: a double-blind multicentre study vs citicoline and ascorbic acid.

INTRODUCTION: Posatirelin (L-pyro-2-aminoadipyl-L-leucil-L-prolinamide) a new synthetic tripeptide with cholinergic, catecholaminergic and neurotrophic properties, was investigated in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A multicentre, double-blind study vs citicoline (reference drug) and ascorbic acid (inactive drug) was carried out in elderly patients suffering from late-onset Alzheimer's disease. The once daily intramuscular treatment lasted for three months followed by one-month oral treatment with a placebo. Subscales and factors of GBS (Gottfries-Bråne-Steen) Rating Scale were identified as primary measures for efficacy assessment. RESULTS: At the end of the treatment, GBS subscale and factor scores assessing intellectual and emotional impairments, orientation and memory, ability to perform activities of daily living, depression-anxiety, attention and motivation were improved in the postatirelin group, showing significant differences with respect to the citicoline and/or ascorbic acid groups. Tolerability was good in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: The improvement in the GBS Rating Scale score observed in the posatirelin group is clinically relevant. It is worth verifying the drug-induced functional improvements, in further studies with large samples.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

RFLPs of the LDL-receptor gene: their use in the diagnosis of FH and in evaluation of different levels of gene expression on normal subjects.

The usefulness of the RFLPs of the LDL-receptor gene in early diagnosis of Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) was investigated in 122 FH-families. Four RFLPs, produced by digestion with the enzymes PvuII, ApaLI and AvaII/XbaI were able to detect the affected gene and to follow the inheritance of the disease in 72 out of 97 families (74%). In the remaining 25 families, unambiguous diagnosis was possible in 66% of the cases by use of PvuII, ApaLI and BstEII/EcoRI RFLPs. The RFLPs were also useful to distinguish true homozygotes from compound heterozygotes and to detect families where recombination events occurred or where hypercholesterolemia was not due to a defect of the LDL-receptor gene. In a normal population PvuII RFLP account for 9.6% of the total variance of the LDL cholesterol levels adjusted for confounding variables. The P2 allele was associated with lower LDL cholesterol concentrations (average excess -9.1 mg/dl). This finding allows us to presume there is a DNA sequence, close to the variable PvuII cutting site in intron 15, which could act as an enhancer of the LDL-receptor gene expression.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Use of three DNA polymorphisms of the LDL receptor gene in the diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant metabolic disorder caused by several different mutations in the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene. This large number of different mutations, often undetectable in Southern blotting, makes it impossible directly to diagnose the disease. However, restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) can be used to follow the inheritance of the defective gene in FH families. In the present study, we report the use of three RFLPs, detected by PvuII, ApaLI and AvaII restriction enzymes, to determine the haplotypes of normal and defective LDL receptor genes in 61 families with FH and in 128 normal individuals. Two of the nine haplotypes were significantly more often associated with the affected genes, whereas one was significantly less frequent. Although none of the associations was strong enough to allow diagnosis in individuals, it was possible, using the three RFLPs, to identify the haplotype of the affected gene in 57 families and to carry out unequivocal diagnosis in 67% of the cases. In four families, PvuII and AvaII detected an abnormal fragment co-segregating with the disease, thus increasing the percentage of diagnosis to 73.4% of the cases.

Alleles↗
PubMed1988

Effect of a single daily dose treatment of fenofibrate on plasma lipoproteins in hyperlipoproteinaemia IIb.

The safety and efficacy of a single daily dose of fenofibrate (200 mg) have been evaluated in 12 Type IIB hyperlipidaemic patients in a three-month study. At the same time the pharmacokinetics was studied to check whether this new dosage schedule would give a therapeutic plasma levels of fenofibrate. At the single daily dose of 200 mg, fenofibrate was highly effective, very well tolerated, and it reached therapeutic plasma levels without accumulation. It appears that fenofibrate can usefully be employed at this dosage in hyperlipidaemia, especially since patient compliance is better when only one daily dose need be taken.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

A double-blind placebo controlled evaluation of the safety and efficacy of vinpocetine in the treatment of patients with chronic vascular senile cerebral dysfunction.

In a double-blind clinical trial, vinpocetine, a synthetic ethyl ester of apovincamine, was shown to effect significant improvement in elderly patients with chronic cerebral dysfunction. Forty-two patients received 10 mg vinpocetine three times a day (tid) for 30 days, then 5 mg tid for 60 days. Matching placebo tablets were given to another 42 patients for the 90 day trial period. Patients on vinpocetine scored consistently better in all evaluations of the effectiveness of treatment including measurements on the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale, the Sandoz Clinical Assessment-Geriatric (SCAG) scale, and the Mini-Mental Status Questionnaire (MMSQ). There were no serious side effects related to the treatment drug.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Effects of three low-dose oral contraceptive formulations on lipid metabolism.

Three oral contraceptive preparations were studied in 60 healthy women. This randomized, comparative, baseline controlled study was designed to investigate the effects of the preparations on plasma lipids and lipoproteins. The following formulations were studied: a monophasic preparation containing ethinylestradiol and desogestrel (M-DSG) and two triphasic formulations containing ethinylestradiol and gestodene or levonorgestrel respectively (T-GSD and T-LNG). These preparations were studied for six treatment cycles. Total cholesterol and apoprotein B did not change in any group. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was significantly decreased in the groups of women treated with M-DSG and T-GSD respectively. No changes were observed in the T-LNG group. With M-DSG, significant increases were observed in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and HDL3 cholesterol, whilst HDL2 cholesterol did not change. With both T-GSD and T-LNG, no changes were observed in HDL cholesterol, whilst a significant increase in HDL3 cholesterol together with a trend to decrease in HDL2 cholesterol were observed. Apolipoprotein AI increased with the following ranking M-DSG greater than T-GSD greater than T-LNG. The LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio significantly decreased with both M-DSG and T-GSD. In the T-LNG group there was no change in this ratio. Triglycerides increased to the same extent in all treatment groups. As far as concerns the risk of arterial diseases, these three oral contraceptive formulations mostly induced negligible and/or partly favorable changes in plasma lipids and lipoproteins; however, the lipoprotein pattern during M-DSG treatment resulted better than during T-GSD, and the latter turned out to be better than during T-LNG.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Lipoprotein changes induced by pantethine in hyperlipoproteinemic patients: adults and children.

Following a brief outline of current knowledge concerning atherosclerosis and its treatment, the authors describe the results obtained by treating with pantethine (900-1200 mg daily for 3 to 6 months) a series of 7 children and 65 adults suffering from hypercholesterolemia alone or associated with hypertriglyceridemia (types IIa and IIb of Fredrickson's classification). Pantethine treatment produced significant reduction of the better known risk factors (total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and apo-B) and a significant increase of HDL-cholesterol (signally HDL2) and apolipoprotein A-I. The authors conclude with a discussion of these results and of the possible role of pantethine in the treatment of hyperlipoproteinemia, in view of its perfect tolerability and demonstrated therapeutic effectiveness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

[Evaluation of the accuracy of precipitation methods for HDL cholesterol determination].

Several methods for HDL-Cholesterol determination have been proposed; the over-floating cholesterol evaluation after non-HDL lipoproteins precipitation by polyanions with bivalent cations or neutral polymers is practical and not expensive, but it's accuracy and precision must be strictly control led. The Authors, after a review and a quality-check of the most used methods, conclude that the best accuracy for HDL-Cholesterol determination is provided by Dextransulphate-Mg-chloride and Phosphotungstate-Mg-chloride at pH 7,5.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed1982

[Relationships between programmed physical activity and risk factors in atherosclerosis].

The lipidemic pattern has been evaluated in 40 systematically trained subjects and in 43 subjects of same age and BMI sedentary ones. The mean CT concentration of active subjects was not different from that of the sedentary group, whereas HDL-C was significantly higher and TG significantly lower, CT/HDL-C was significantly lower in active subjects. The obtained results show that systematic physical activity, even if not at agonistic level, can induce antiatherogenic modifications of the lipidemic pattern.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

[Influence of alcohol intake and smoking on plasma HDL cholesterol in active and sedentary subjects].

The effect of physical activity, of smoking habit and alcohol assumption on plasma HDL-cholesterol has been evaluated in 40 normolipidaemic male active subjects and in 43 non-active ones. The comparison have been performed after covariance adjustment for potentially confounding variables. Physical activity increases and smoking habit decreases HDL-cholesterol plasma levels; no effects depending on alcohol consumption have been found.

Adult↗