Biomedical subjects

R Marinelli

Publications and source records attributed to R Marinelli.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphisms increase the risk to develop psoriasis.

We investigated the relationship between eight polymorphisms in the gene encoding for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (-1540C > A, -1512Ins18, -1451C > T, -460T > C, -160C > T, -152G > A, -116G > A and +405G > C) and plaque-type psoriasis stratified for age at onset, gender and family history of dermatosis. For this purpose, 117 patients with chronic plaque-type psoriasis and 215 healthy subjects were enrolled. We found that being homozygous -1540AA, -1512InsIns, -1451TT, -460CC and -152AA conferred a significant risk in developing psoriasis compared with heterozygous (-1540CA, -1512 + Ins, -1451CT, -460CT and -152AG) and homozygous genotypes (-1540CC, -1512 + +-1451CC, -460TT and -152GG) grouped together [odds ratio (ORs) = 1.73, 1.73, 1.73, 1.77 and 1.87, respectively]. Conversely, having the -116AA or +405GG genotype did not significantly increase the risk of disease expression compared with other genotypes of the same loci. Interestingly, we found that -1540AA, -1512InsIns, -1451TT, -460CC and -152AA homozygous genotypes have a significant two-fold increased risk in developing psoriasis after the age of 40 years (late-onset psoriasis) (ORs = 2.19, 2.19, 2.19, 2.05 and 2.26; P = 0.02, 0.02, 0.02, 0.04 and 0.02, respectively) as compared with controls. On the contrary, we found no phenotype-genotype association of the same magnitude among the patients in whom psoriasis developed at or before the age of 40 years (early-onset psoriasis) compared with controls. Genotype distributions were not significantly different when cases and controls were stratified either by gender or family history of psoriasis. Finally, VEGF plasma concentration was not significantly different between patients and controls and was not correlated with the severity of the disease.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

PubMed1996

Elevated serum levels of 90K/MAC-2 BP predict unresponsiveness to alpha-interferon therapy in chronic HCV hepatitis patients.

BACKGROUND: The clinical outcome of hepatitis virus infections is though to depend on the complex interplay between the host immune response profile and virus factors. 90K/MAC-2 BP is a novel member of the Scavenger Receptor Cysteine Rich protein superfamily that functions as a molecular alarm signal for the cellular immune system against both cancer cells and virus infections. METHODS: To assess the significance and the potential clinical usefulness of testing for serum levels of 90K/MAC-2 BP in chronic viral hepatitis patients we studied 115 consecutive patients with chronic HCV hepatitis, 28 HBsAg chronic hepatitis patients, 12 asymptomatic HCV carriers and 11 asymptomatic HBV carriers. 103 out of the 115 HCV patients have been treated with recombinant alpha 2a-interferon at the dose of 3 Mega Units (MU) t.i.w. for 6 months followed by 1.5 MU t.i.w. for 6 months, and have been followed up for a further 12 months. Serum levels of 90K/MAC-2 BP were measured by an immunoradiometric assay based on the specific SP-2 monoclonal antibody. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Serum 90K/MAC-2 BP levels are increased in chronic viral hepatitis patients, being significantly higher in HCV than in HBV patients. In chronic HCV hepatitis, serum 90K/MAC-2 BP levels are related to both the degree of disease severity and duration of infection. Moreover, elevated 90K/MAC-2 BP serum levels are an independent predictor of failure to respond to alpha-interferon treatment in a cohort of community-acquired chronic hepatitis C patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Epidemiology of viral hepatitis in dialysis centers: a national survey.

Because of the great problem of viral hepatitis in hemodialysis patients, the Italian Society of Nephrology decided to perform a national epidemiologic survey. We contacted 467 nephrological centers by a questionnaire which let us have information on 25,746 uremic patients: 18,338 on HD, 2,250 on PD and 5,176 with kidney transplant, respectively 78.5% of the total Italian dialysed patients and 91.4% of the total transplanted patients. Statistical analyses were performed. HBV infections occur in 7.8% of the patients (2,008 cases) but considering that 485 cases became spontaneously negative, the true overall incidence of chronic carriers falls to 4.9%. The main causes of the infection are reported as transfusions (64.3%) and dialysis environment (12%). The vaccination program performed by 93.2% of the centers, obtained an efficacious seroconversion in 4,626 of 7,790 cases vaccinated: the vaccine currently most utilized is the recombinant type administered by means of 3 versus 4 boosters. In the 2nd part of the survey, we report information concerning the presence of nephropaties associated with HBV infections in nonuremic patients (208 cases). We present and discuss the clinical picture of the nephropaties, the hystologic bioptic pattern and the prognosis of the kidney pathology.

Carrier State↗

PubMed1992

[Potassium canrenoate and the combination of potassium canrenoate-butizide in the therapy of light to moderate arterial hypertension].

The aim of the study was to evaluate the antihypertensive effect of K-canrenoate, alone or in combination with butizide, in mild to moderate essential hypertensives. Fifteen patients (supine diastolic blood pressure ranging from 95 to 114 mmHg) received K-canrenoate 50mg/die (step 1). In patients with supine diastolic blood pressure greater than 90 mmHg therapeutic regimen was modified at two-week intervals according to the following design: K-canrenoate 100 mg/die (step 2), K-canrenoate 50 mg + butizide 5 mg/die (step 3), K-canrenoate 100 mg + butizide 10 mg/die (step 4). Blood pressure control was achieved in 2 patients treated with K-canrenoate alone (step 2) and in 8 patients on a combined regimen (step 3), and it was maintained throughout the whole trial period (12 weeks); step 4 did not achieve the goal of therapy in the remaining 5 subjects. A statistically significant increase in triglyceridemia (123.2 +/- 42.1 vs 158.3 +/- 62 mg/dl) and uricemia (4.6 +/- 0.9 vs 5 +/- 0.9 mg/dl) was observed at the end of the follow-up period. Serum potassium levels remained stable in all patients. Therefore, K-canrenoate in combination with butizide is an effective and well tolerated drug in the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension.

Adult↗

PubMed1992