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R Cavalli

Publications and source records attributed to R Cavalli.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Skin dimpling as a consequence of amniocentesis.

No reports of cutaneous lesions after amniocentesis have been published after the advent of real-time ultrasonography. Two infants with multiple skin dimpling caused by needle puncture during fetal life are described. They had pitted scars on the thighs and abdomen that were not associated with internal injury. Both mothers had undergone a diagnostic amniocentesis at the beginning of the second trimester of pregnancy. Real-time ultrasound monitoring of amniocentesis has not completely eliminated the risk of needle puncture scarring of the fetus.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1998

Solid lipid nanoparticles in lymph and plasma after duodenal administration to rats.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the uptake and transport of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), which have been proposed as alternative drug carriers, into the lymph and blood after duodenal administration in rats. METHODS: Single doses of two different concentrations of aqueous dispersions of unlabelled and labelled SLN (average diameter 80 nm) were administered intraduodenally to rats. At different times, samples of lymph were withdrawn by cannulating the thoracic duct and blood was sampled from the jugular vein. Monitoring continued for 45 and 180 minutes, for unlabelled and labelled SLN respectively. The biological samples were analysed by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and gamma-counting. RESULTS: TEM analysis evidenced SLN in lymph and blood after duodenal administration to rats: the size of SLN in lymph did not change markedly compared to that before administration. The labelled SLN confirmed the presence of SLN in lymph and blood. CONCLUSIONS: The uptake and transport of SLN in the lymph, and to a lesser extent in the blood, were evidenced. The in vivo physical stability of SLN may have important implications in designing drug-carrying SLN.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Epidermolysis bullosa pruriginosa.

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) pruriginosa is a rare clinical subset of dystrophic EB, characterized by marked itching and presence of prurigo-like or lichenoid features. In order to further delineate the phenotype and understand the pathogenesis of this disorder, the clinical, histological and ultrastructural findings of a 19-year-old patient presenting a typical form of EB pruriginosa are described. The prevalence of papular itchy lichenoid lesions, signs of scratching and paucity of blisters at the time of clinical examination may result in incorrect diagnosis and treatment. Microscopic studies of the lesions show the typical findings of dystrophic EB associated with an unusually high density of collagen bundles and absence of elastic fibres in the upper dermis. Itching lichenoid lesions of EB pruriginosa could represent an abnormal dermal reactivity of some patients to their inherited bullous disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Cardio-facio-cutaneous (CFC) syndrome: report of an adult without mental retardation.

We report on a 25-year-old woman with typical manifestations of the cardio-facio-cutaneous (CFC) syndrome, but without mental retardation. She had valvular and infundibular pulmonic stenosis, brittle and woolly hair with patchy alopecia, scant body hair, dry and hypohydrotic skin, and characteristic facial traits. To our knowledge, this is the first case of CFC syndrome without mental retardation but typical cutaneous findings.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1995

Altered expression of a new antigen of the dermal-epidermal junction (NU-T2 DEJ Ag) in junctional epidermolysis bullosa.

NU-T2 antigen (Ag) is a new and recently described antigen of the dermal-epidermal junction, recognized by an anti-CD1b monoclonal antibody denominated NU-T2. We studied NU-T2 Ag expression in junctional epidermolysis bullosa (13 patients) and in other forms of hereditary epidermolysis bullosa (23 patients), comparing the results with nicein expression. In junctional epidermolysis bullosa gravis type no differences were found between the expression of NU-T2 and nicein, both being negative in bullous as well as in non-bullous skin. Interestingly, in mitis type junctional epidermolysis bullosa, NU-T2 Ag was found to be absent or reduced in five of six patients both in lesional and in uncleaved skin. When compared with nicein expression, clearcut differences were found, further suggesting that these two antigens are different. These data confirm that NU-T2 Ag is a novel epitope of the dermal-epidermal junction, probably relevant in dermal-epidermal cohesion, and it could be responsible, together with nicein, 19-DEJ-1 and other adhesion molecules, for the different subtypes of junctional epidermolysis bullosa. Finally, NU-T2 monoclonal antibody is a new relevant tool for the diagnosis, classification, and prenatal diagnosis of junctional epidermolysis bullosa.

Antigens↗
PubMed1992

Glomerular hyperfiltration in essential hypertension: hormonal aspects.

Glomerular hyperfiltration is thought to play a pivotal role in causing renal damage in essential hypertension. An increase in glomerular filtration rate can be experimentally induced by an acute oral protein load through still unclarified mechanisms, although hormonal factors have been postulated; in already hyperfiltering nephrons, the capacity to further increase glomerular filtration rate upon stimulation with an acute protein load (i.e. renal functional reserve) would conceivably be reduced, even in the presence of apparently normal renal function. The present study aimed at assessing whether renal functional reserve is preserved and/or is affected by different antihypertensive drugs in essential hypertensive patients without signs of renal function impairment; moreover, we tried to highlight changes in the plasma levels of natriuretic and antinatriuretic hormones potentially involved in the modulation of renal hemodynamics under the chosen experimental conditions. Renal hemodynamic parameters, plasma renin activity, aldosterone and atrial natriuretic factor were measured in fourteen essential hypertensives submitted to an acute oral protein load, alone or with a concomitant administration of either nifedipine or enalapril, as compared with a control carbohydrate meal. Glomerula filtration rate and renal plasma flow rose slightly but not significantly following an acute oral protein load as compared with a carbohydrate meal; no changes were noted in plasma atrial natriuretic factor levels, whereas plasma renin activity decreased. When nifedipine was administered together with the protein meal, both glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow increased significantly; there were also, parallel increases in plasma renin activity and atrial natriuretic factor. Administration of enalapril was associated with a decrease in both glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow; plasma renin activity showed an expected marked rise, whereas the plasma levels of atrial natriuretic factor were only slightly but not significantly reduced and plasma aldosterone fell. In conclusion, our data suggest that in our patients renal functional reserve was blunted. Clear-cut hyperfiltration was brought about by administration of nifedipine together with a protein meal, whereas enalapril completely abolished even the small increase in glomerular filtration rate seen after protein meal alone. The concomitant alterations in plasma renin activity, aldosterone and atrial natriuretic factor seemed to play no major role in the determinism of the observed renal hemodynamic changes.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Timolol in lipospheres.

Lipospheres carrying timolol (1) were obtained from microemulsions. They had lecithin, palmitic and decanoic acids as the main constituents. The sizes were between 300 and 400 nm and the amount of 1 incorporated varied from 2.7 to 4.8% according to the microemulsion used. Compound 1 was present in the lipospheres mainly as ion pairs in order to increase its lipophilicity. The difference found in the incorporation was principally due to the different lipophilicity of the ion pairs of 1.

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical↗
PubMed1991

Very late antigen (VLA) expression in various forms of epidermolysis bullosa simplex.

The very late antigen (VLA) glycoproteins are a family of adhesion membrane receptors involved in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. In order to investigate the expression of these molecules in inherited epidermolysis bullosa (EB), we studied the reactivity of monoclonal antibodies directed against VLA-1, -2, -3, -4, -5, and -6, and VLA beta receptors in skin sections from patients affected by several types of EB simplex (EBs) using indirect immunofluorescence. Skin samples were obtained from six patients with generalized type (Koebner), one patient with localized type (Weber-Cockayne) and one patient with Dowling-Meara EBs type and also from two normal controls. No significant modification of the expression of these adhesion receptors was observed. Anti-VLA-2 and anti-VLA-3 stained the whole cytoplasmic membrane of basal keratinocytes and allowed the detection of focal areas of cytolysis in unblistered skin from the Koebner and Dowling-Meara type. In Koebner type blisters anti-VLA-3 stained the cell remnants at the roof of the blister with a linear staining along the epidermal basement membrane on the dermal side. In Dowling-Meara type blisters anti-VLA-3 also stained cell remnants at the bottom of the cavity. Anti-VLA-6 stained the bottom of the blister cavity with the same distribution of bullous pemphigoid serum but with a stronger and more constant reactivity. Our data show that anti-VLA-3 and anti-VLA-6 can usefully be utilized in diagnostic immunomapping studies of EBs.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1990

Expression of integrins in junctional and dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.

Recently, monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) have been raised against a family of adhesive membrane receptors (R) for extracellular matrix molecules known as integrins. In order to ascertain whether these adhesive proteins are normally expressed in inherited epidermolysis bullosa (EB) dermal epidermal junction, we studied the reactivity of MoAb recognizing receptors for VLA-1 (R for unknown ligand), VLA-2 (R for collagen), VLA-3 (R for collagen, laminin, fibronectin), VLA-4 (R for unknown ligand), VLA-5 (R for fibronectin), VLA-6 (R for laminin), VNR alpha, and VNR beta (R for vitronectin) on cryostat skin sections from EB patients and normal controls and on cytospins of normal epidermal cell suspensions with indirect immunohistochemical methods. Two cases of junctional EB (EBj) (lethal and non-lethal), three cases of dominant dystrophic EB (EBdd), two cases of recessive dystrophic EB (EBdr), and two normal controls skin sections and cell suspensions entered the study. No significant modification of the distribution of these adhesive receptors was observed in junctional and dystrophic EB skin. Both in normal and EB specimens MoAb against VLA-2, VLA-3, and VNR alpha determinants showed reactivity with the total cytoplasmic membrane of basal keratinocytes and basement membrane zone. Interestingly, anti-VLA-6 MoAb was characterized by an intense linear staining of the dermal-epidermal junction with the same localization on the roof of the blisters in EBj, EBdd, and EBdr as bullous pemphigoid (BP) serum. On the basis of these results we suggest that anti-VLA-6 MoAb could be used instead of BP serum for immunohistochemical detection of the cleavage of blisters in EB.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1989

[Dermatologic manifestations of tuberous sclerosis in children. A study of 6 cases].

Typical cutaneous findings in tuberous sclerosis are present in over 90% of cases and represent one of the earliest markers of the syndrome. Our study, based on 6 pediatric cases, underlines how the skin manifestations vary with the patient's age. Hypopigmented maculae were usually present at birth and remained often the only clinical sign during the first few years of age. Angiofibromas on the face appeared later and were followed by orange-peel patches and then by periungual fibromas. The high spontaneous new mutation rate of tuberous sclerosis seems to be confirmed by our study in which clinical evaluation of first-degree relatives of all patients was negative.

Adolescent↗