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Biomedical subjects

R Cipriani

Publications and source records attributed to R Cipriani.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Use of prosthetic mesh in difficult abdominal wall closure after small bowel transplantation in adults.

Abdominal wall closure after intestinal transplantation in adult patients can be a difficult procedure. The main possibility offered by international experience is the use of myocutaneous flaps and abdominal wall transplantation. We report our experience in intestinal/multivisceral transplantation, including four difficult cases among 27 adult transplant recipients. Three patients underwent prosthetic mesh alone and one, a myocutaneous flap for abdominal closure after primary mesh positioning. We selected a mesh with a structure that allowed us to close the abdomen without creating adhesions and, at the same time, stimulating tissue repair. Two patients experienced local mesh infection, which has been kept under clinical control by antibiotics and daily medications till neoabdominal wall formation. The mesh was then removed. Another patient underwent mesh substitution for a suspicious fever. The last patient had mesh as a bridge for a subsequent myocutaneous flap from the thigh. All patients are in good health with well-functioning grafts and no need for parenteral nutrition. No enterocutaneous fistulae were detected.

Abdominal Wall↗
PubMed2005

Life-history invariants with bounded variables cannot be distinguish from data generated by random processes using standard analyses.

A dimensionless approach to the study of life-history evolution has been applied to a wide variety of variables in the search for life-history invariants. This approach usually employs ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions of log-transformed data. In several well-studied combinations of variables the range of values of one parameter is bounded or limited by the value of the other. In this situation, the null hypothesis normally applied to regression analysis is not appropriate. We generate the null expectations and confidence intervals (CI) for OLS and reduced major axis (RMA) regressions using random variables that are bounded in this way. Comparisons of these CI show that, for log-transformed data, the patterns generated by random data and those predicted by life history invariant theory often could not be distinguished because both predict a slope of 1. We recommend that tests based on the putative invariant ratios and not the correlations between the two variables be used in the exploration of life-history invariants using bounded data. Because empirical data are often not normally distributed randomization test may be more appropriate than standard statistical tests.

Biological Evolution↗
PubMed2004

The impairment of renal function is not associated to altered circulating vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic and haemodynamic factors concur in the development of diabetic nephropathy. Moreover, in diabetes, the presence of hypertension may accelerate the development of renal damage. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) stimulates microvascular permeability, endothelium-dependent vasodilation and angiogenesis and its synthesis is enhanced by hyperglycaemia, advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), tissue hypoxia and hypertension. VEGF appears to play a central role in mediating diabetic vasculopathy, and although VEGF and its receptors are expressed at renal level, its action in renal pathophysiology is unknown. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether presence and/or severity of renal dysfunction is related to circulating VEGF in patients with Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. DESIGN AND METHODS: Fifty hypertensive Type 2 diabetic patients and 20 non-diabetic patients were included in the study. Renal function parameters such as albumin excretion rate (AER), and glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and VEGF plasma levels were analysed in all subjects, whereas %HbA1c and AGEs levels were evaluated in diabetic patients. RESULTS: GFR was significantly decreased in diabetic patients compared with the control subjects (74.36 +/- 15.95 vs 111.5 +/- 17.0 ml/min, p<0.0001). Three diabetic patients showed AER abnormalities (53.8 +/- 2.3 mg/24h). VEGF in diabetic patients was higher than in the control group (77.95 +/- 65.98 vs 49.30 +/- 40.8 pg/ml), but not significantly. %HbA1c and AGE levels were 6.6 +/- 1.5% and 11.59 +/- 8.09 UAGE/ml, respectively. No correlation was found between renal function, circulating VEGF levels and metabolic control. CONCLUSION: Diabetes, in association with hypertension, significantly decreases renal function, but circulating VEGF may not reflect its concentration and action at renal level.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition modulates high-glucose-induced extracellular matrix changes in mouse glomerular epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Extracellular matrix alterations are involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. We evaluated the effects of high glucose concentrations and inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme on the laminin and fibronectin production by glomerular epithelial cells. METHODS: Glomerular epithelial cells were cultured in 5 and 30 mmol/l glucose, with and without enalaprilat (0.3 mmol/l). Laminin and fibronectin were measured (35S-methionine, immunoprecipitation), and their mRNA expression was evaluated (RT-PCR). RESULTS: The laminin concentration was higher in the cells than in the medium, where an increase of its content was observed under high-glucose conditions (p < 0.01). Fibronectin, found only in the medium, was not modified by the high glucose concentration. Following enalaprilat administration, the laminin concentration was decreased under high-glucose conditions, both in the cell and in the medium (p < 0.001), whereas the fibronectin concentration was increased under high-glucose conditions (p < 0.001). The mRNA expression of laminin and fibronectin under high-glucose conditions only slightly increased. Enalaprilat decreased the fibronectin mRNA synthesis dramatically (>50%, p < 0.0001) under high-glucose conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Enalaprilat normalizes the abnormal, high-glucose-induced concentration of laminin, while it decreases the fibronectin synthesis. The improvement of the renal function in diabetic patients treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors may, in part, be due to a modulator effect on extracellular matrix content and composition.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗
PubMed1999

Autoimmune markers and neurological complications in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

To verify whether autoimmune markers related to nervous system structures and other autoimmunity indexes present in diabetes mellitus are associated with subclinical neuropathy, we examined 48 non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients with and without neuroelectrophysiological alterations. Nerve conduction velocity at the external sciatic-popliteal nerve, at the sural nerve, at the median and ulnar nerves level has been evaluated. Autoimmunity was investigated by evaluating glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD-Ab), insulin (IAA), GM3, GD3 and GT1b gangliosides, pancreatic islet cell (IC-A) and anti-nervous-tissue autoantibody presence. Nerve conduction velocities were decreased in 72.9% of diabetic patients. Anti-insulin antibodies were detected in seven non-insulin created diabetic patients and in higher amount in subjects with (17.1%) than in those without (7.7%) asymptomatic neuropathy. Anti-GM3 antibodies were detected in four diabetic patients all of whom presented neurological complication. A significant correlation has been found between neurological damage and presence of anti-insulin antibodies (p<0.05). In the case of GM3 autoantibody, a similar result was obtained, but the data failed to reach statistical significance. Our data demonstrate that autoimmunity might play a role in the development of peripheral neuropathy.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

An outbreak of hepatitis A in Puglia, Italy, 1996.

In the region of Puglia, in the south east of Italy (population: 4 million), the number of notifications of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection increases in a two yearly cycle. In 1992 a very large outbreak was observed, but no epidemiological investigation

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

[Lateral calcaneal flap in the reconstruction of the calcaneal and malleolar region].

The authors discuss the efficacy of the lateral calcaneal artery flap in repairing the calcaneal and malleolar regions. The lateral calcaneal artery flap is a safe flap, with constant vascularization represented by the lateral calcaneal artery and the external saphenous vein; the flap has a sensory nerve (the sural nerve) and is a sensory flap. Its use in the calcaneal and malleolar region is very safe, because the vascular pedicle is constant and surgical transfer easy.

Ankle↗
PubMed1994

Buspirone in levodopa-induced dyskinesias.

We made a double-blind, crossover comparison of buspirone (10 mg orally, twice a day) and placebo in 10 patients with Parkinson's disease and levodopa-induced dyskinesias. The duration of the study was 3 weeks, for both buspirone and for placebo treatment. Chronic therapies remained unchanged. The extrapyramidal symptoms, dyskinesias, and anxious/depressive symptoms were evaluated at the beginning of the study and after the buspirone and placebo treatments. Seven patients concluded the trial. The extrapyramidal symptoms, evaluated in both the "off" and "on" states during an oral L-Dopa test, did not show any worsening during the trial. Buspirone significantly lessened the severity of levodopa-induced dyskinesias in five of the seven patients, whereas it proved ineffective in the two patients with the mildest dyskinesias. There were no changes in the mild anxious and depressive symptoms at any time during the study. The activities of buspirone on the serotonin and dopamine systems might have led to the antidyskinetic effect we observed. At daily dosages of 20 mg, buspirone might prove effective in reducing levodopa-induced dyskinesias without worsening of parkinsonism.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Imipramine in alopecia areata. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Alopecia areata (AA) is a dermatologic disease whose onset is significantly associated to life events. Its course may often be characterized by high levels of anxiety and depression. These observations suggested a rationale for using an antidepressant in AA. Thirteen patients were enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of efficacy of imipramine in alopecia. After six months clinically significant hair regrowth occurred in 5 of the 7 patients on imipramine, whereas no response was observed in the placebo group. An improvement in psychic symptomatology was present in both groups. Our preliminary results indicate the potential efficacy of imipramine in patients with AA, not acting directly through a reduction of anxiety or depression.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Adenovirus E1B 19-kilodalton protein overcomes the cytotoxicity of E1A proteins.

Infection with adenovirus mutants carrying either point mutations or deletions in the coding region for the 19-kDa E1B gene product (19K protein) causes degradation of host cell and viral DNAs (deg phenotype) and enhanced cytopathic effect (cyt phenotype). Therefore, one function of the E1B 19K protein is to protect nuclear DNA integrity and preserve cytoplasmic architecture during productive adenovirus infection. When placed in the background of a virus incapable of expressing a functional E1A gene product, however, E1B 19K gene mutations do not result in the appearance of the cyt and deg phenotypes. This demonstrated that expression of the E1A proteins was responsible for inducing the appearance of the cyt and deg phenotypes. By constructing a panel of viruses possessing E1A mutations spanning each of the three E1A conserved regions in conjunction with E1B 19K gene mutations, we mapped the induction of the cyt and deg phenotypes to the amino-terminal region of E1A. Viruses that fail to express conserved region 3 (amino acids 140 to 185) and/or 2, (amino acids 121 to 185) or nonconserved sequences between conserved regions 2 and 1 of E1A (amino acids 86 to 120) were still capable of inducing cyt and deg. This indicated that activities associated with these regions, such as transactivation and binding to the product of the retinoblastoma susceptibility gene, were dispensable for induction of E1A-dependent cytotoxic effects. In contrast, deletion of sequences in the amino terminus of E1A (amino acids 22 to 107) resulted in extragenic suppression of the cyt and deg phenotypes. Therefore, a function affected by deletion of amino acids 22 to 86 of E1A is responsible for exerting cytotoxic effects in virally infected cells. Furthermore, transient high-level expression of the E1A region using a cytomegalovirus promoter plasmid expression vector was sufficient to induce the cyt and deg phenotypes, demonstrating that E1A expression alone is sufficient to exert these cytotoxic effects and that other viral gene products are not involved. Finally, placing E1A expression under the control of a strong promoter did not alter the requirement for E1B in the transformation of primary cells. One possibility is that the E1B 19K protein is required to overcome the cytotoxic effects of E1A protein expression and thereby enable primary cells to become transformed.

Adenoviridae Infections↗
PubMed1990

Role of adenovirus E1B proteins in transformation: altered organization of intermediate filaments in transformed cells that express the 19-kilodalton protein.

Cooperation of the nuclear oncogene E1A with the E1B oncogene is required for transformation of primary cells. Expression vectors were constructed to produce the 19-kilodalton (19K) and 55K E1B proteins under the direction of heterologous promoters in order to investigate the role of individual E1B proteins in transformation. Coexpression of E1A and either the 19K or 55K E1B gene products was sufficient for the formation of transformed foci in primary rat cells at half the frequency of an intact E1B gene, suggesting that the 19K and 55K proteins function via independent pathways in transformation. Furthermore, the effects of Ha-ras and the E1B 19K gene product were additive when cotransfected with E1A, suggesting that the 19K protein functions in transformation by a mechanism independent from that of ras as well. Although expression of E1A and either E1B protein was sufficient for the subsequent growth of cells in long-term culture, the 19K protein was required to support growth in semisolid media. As the 19K protein has been shown to associate with and disrupt intermediate filaments (IFs) when transiently expressed with plasmid vectors (E. White and R. Cipriani, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 86:9886-9890, 1989), the organization of IFs in transformed cells was investigated. Primary rat cells transformed by plasmids encoding E1A plus the E1B 19K protein showed gross perturbations of IFs, whereas cell lines transformed by plasmids encoding E1A plus the E1B 55K protein or E1A plus Ha-ras did not. These results suggest that an intact IF cytoskeleton may inhibit anchorage-independent growth and that the E1B 19K protein can overcome this inhibition by disrupting the IF cytoskeleton.

Adenovirus Early Proteins↗
PubMed1989

Specific disruption of intermediate filaments and the nuclear lamina by the 19-kDa product of the adenovirus E1B oncogene.

The 19-kDa protein encoded within the adenovirus E1B gene is essential for transformation by adenovirus and for proper regulation of viral early gene transcription. In order to investigate the biological function of the 19-kDa E1B protein, vectors were constructed to produce the 19-kDa protein in mammalian cells under the direction of heterologous promoters. Surprisingly, during transient expression, the E1B 19-kDa protein specifically associated with and disrupted the organization of intermediate filaments and the nuclear lamina, without disturbing the organization of other cytoskeletal networks. These results directly demonstrate an effect of a viral transforming protein on the cytoskeleton and suggest a role for intermediate filaments and the nuclear lamina in modulation of viral gene expression and the process of oncogenic transformation.

Adenovirus Early Proteins↗
PubMed1989

[Alopecia areata: appropriateness of various laboratory parameters].

Over the past four years 190 patients with alopecia areata have been examined: hematochemical parameters have been assessed in each patient and the possible presence of organ-and non-organ-specific circulating antibodies has been assayed. No significant alterations were found with regard to the different hematochemical parameters examined. On the other hand, a highly significant increase of anti-gastric parietal cell autoantibodies was observed in patients with alopecia areata and alopecia universalis in comparison to normal control subjects; in addition, patients with alopecia universalis showed a significant increase of anti-thyroid antibodies.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Relationship between body weight and blood pressure and some metabolic parameters in psoriatic patients.

The relationship between body weight and blood pressure, total serum cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid and glucose was investigated in 203 psoriatic patients in comparison with 904 healthy controls. In the psoriatic patients, these parameters were clearly related to their body weight. Those psoriatic patients of normal weight exhibited lower mean values of all the parameters compared with overweight psoriatic patients while they did not differ from control subjects of normal weight. Our results suggest that only overweight psoriatic patients exhibit the metabolic abnormalities frequently reported in the literature, while psoriatic patients of normal weight do not differ from the general population in this respect.

Adult↗