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Biomedical subjects

R Papini

Publications and source records attributed to R Papini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Anticardiolipin antibodies in healthy and diseased dogs.

The concentrations of anticardiolipin immunoglobulin G (IgG) were measured in 134 healthy dogs and 63 diseased dogs by an elisa. The mean (sd) concentration in the healthy dogs was 5.40 (2.60) IgG phospholipid (gpl) units, and concentrations greater than 11 gpl were considered as above the normal range. On this basis, 30 (47.6 per cent) of the diseased dogs were within the normal range, with a mean of 5.45 (3.07) gpl and the other 33 had levels above the normal range (P<0.001); 19 of them had a mean level of 22.2 (5.66) gpl, 10 had a mean level of 49.1 (11.2) gpl, and four had a mean level of 85.8 (9.64) gpl. Levels above the normal range were more frequent in females (59.4 per cent) than in males (45.1 per cent), but were higher in males (45.5 [34.71] v 42.91 [22.0] gpl). In addition, they were more frequent and higher in older dogs (66.7 per cent, 40.4 [24.0] gpl) than in younger dogs (33.3 per cent, 33.5 [21.4] gpl).

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Survey on giardiosis in shelter dog populations.

Faecal samples from 183 dogs living in three different shelters in the Rome metropolitan area were randomly collected and examined for the prevalence of giardiosis. Giardia infections were detected by a commercially available ELISA test (ProspecT Giardia Microplate Assay). Overall prevalence was 55.2%. Prevalence rates in single shelters were 74.3, 35.5, and 20.9%, respectively. Using multivariate analysis, no association was found between Giardia-positivity and shelter or sex, breed, or diarrhoea. Giardia-positive dogs were more likely to be younger than 5-year-old (odds ratio [OR] = 2.87; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.07-7.77; p = 0.038), living together (OR = 2.58; 95% CI: 1.12-5.93; p = 0.026), and fed commercial wet food, both alone and combined with dry food (OR = 5.67; 95% CI: 1.59-20.24; p = 0.008). Correlation between Giardia infection and type of food has not been previously reported in dogs. Possible use of the ELISA test for detection of Giardia infection in dogs and zoonotic implications are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Partial growth plate fusion caused by burn.

Growth plate fusion is a rare but important complication of burn injury in childhood. Reported cases are all of complete fusion. We present a case of partial fusion of the growth plates secondary to a burn injury, which to our knowledge has not been reported in the literature before. Partial fusion of the growth plate behaves differently as compared with complete fusion, and if treated at an early stage by appropriate surgery limb deformity and long-term disability may be prevented. The importance of early recognition and treatment cannot be overemphasized.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Survey of keratinophilic fungi isolated from city park soils of Pisa, Italy.

A survey of geophilic dermatophytes and related keratinophilic fungi isolated from city park soils of Pisa is reported. Twenty-three (48%) soil samples out of 48 were positive by hair baiting. The following species were isolated: Microsporum gypseum (39%), Trichophyton ajelloi (31%), Chrysosporium keratinophilum (14%), T. terrestre (8%), M. fulvum, Ch. luteum, Ch. indicum (5% each) and M. cookei (2%). The presence of the different species is discussed in relation to the risk of fungal skin infections.

Arthrodermataceae↗
PubMed1997

Changes in the level and activation state of the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase during aging of red beet slices.

The effect of aging on the plasma membrane (PM) H(+)-ATPase of red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) parenchyma discs was analyzed in PM purified by aqueous two-phase partitioning. Aging increased both the activity in the amount of immunodetectable H(+)-ATPase in the PM. The activity assayed at slightly alkaline pH values increased earlier and more strongly than that assayed at acidic pH values, so that the pH curve of the enzyme from aged beet discs was shifted toward more alkaline values. Aging decreased the stimulation of the PM H(+)-ATPase activity by controlled trypsin treatments or by lysophosphatidylcholine. After trypsin treatment the pH dependence of H(+)-ATPase from dormant or aged beet discs became equal. These results indicate that aging not only increases the level of H(+)-ATPase in the PM, but also determines its activation, most likely by modifying the interaction between the autoinhibitory carboxyl-terminal domain and the catalytic site. When the PM H(+)-ATPase activity was assayed at a slightly alkaline pH, the tyrosine modifier N-acetylimidazole inhibited the H(+)-ATPase in the PM from dormant beet discs much less than in the PM from aged discs, suggesting that modification of a tyrosine residue may be involved in the activation of the PM H(+)-ATPase induced by aging. The results are discussed with regard to aging-induced development of transmembrane transport activities.

Aging↗
PubMed1997

Keratinophilic fungi from coats of wild boars in Italy.

Hair samples were collected from wild boars (Sus scrofa) in Italy to determine the presence of keratinophilic fungi. Eleven (5%) of 211 boars had fungi: two (1%) had Trichophyton mentagrophytes, five (2%) had T. terrestre, two (1%) had Chrysosporium keratinophilum, one (0.5%) had Chrysosporium tropicum, and one (0.5%) had both C. keratinophilum and T. terrestre. These are the first recorded isolations of C. keratinophilum, C. tropicum, and T. terrestre from wild boars. Based on the low prevalence of keratinophilic fungi, wild boars probably are not of special epizootological interest for dermatophytic infections.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Isolation of keratinophilic fungi from the floors of private veterinary clinics in Italy.

To evaluate the presence of keratinophilic fungi in the environment, 400 samples were collected from the floors of 50 private veterinary clinics using 55-mm-diameter 'contact plates', containing mycobiotic agar. After incubation for 15 days at 25 degrees C, the following species were isolated: Microsporum canis, Trichophyton terrestre, Chrysosporium keratinophilum, Chrysosporium sp., Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton ajelloi, Chrysosporium tropicum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Chrysosporium state of Arthroderma tuberculatum and Chrysosporium pannorum. It is concluded that the keratinic material shed by infected pets may contribute to the development and propagation of dermatophytes and related fungi in veterinary clinics. Therefore, such veterinary clinics may represent sites where pets and humans are exposed to risk of infection with keratinophilic fungi from the environment.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Ocular larva migrans and histopathological lesions in mice experimentally infected with Baylisascaris transfuga embryonated eggs.

The ability of Baylisascaris transfuga larvae to cause ocular larva migrans (OLM) in mice was examined. Mice were given approximately 3500 infective eggs of B. transfuga per os. Their eyes were removed and examined either microscopically or histologically at various intervals post-infection. Larvae were recovered beginning 7 days after infection. Histologically, free larvae were observed in the posterior chamber and within the ocular membranes. Larval granulomas were present in the choroid with involvement of retinal layers. It was concluded that B. transfuga larvae have the ability to produce OLM in mice following oral infection and should be considered as possible agents of OLM in other animals and in human beings.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Parenteral infection in mice with Baylisascaris transfuga (Nematoda: Ascaridae) infective eggs.

In order to investigate the ability of infective larvae of the nematode Baylisascaris transfuga (Rudolphi, 1819) Sprent, 1968 to hatch from the egg-shells and then to migrate in tissues, parenteral infections of mice with embryonated eggs were performed. Two groups of outbred albino mice were infected with approximately 3500 B. transfuga infective eggs subcutaneously (s.c.) or intraperitoneally (i.p.). B. transfuga larvae in the i.p. group rapidly hatched and migrated to the intestine, liver, lungs, brain and carcass. Subcutaneous inoculation of eggs was followed also by migration of hatched larvae in the examined organs. In the s.c. mice, extensive encapsulating reactions involving the subcutaneous tissues and carcass, and containing large numbers of hatched eggs and free motile larvae, were found at the sites of inoculation. Some differences in the migratory behaviour were observed between the two groups. It is shown that B. transfuga infective larvae are able to hatch and migrate in tissues of mice, and tend to settle and/or to be trapped in the intestinal wall and muscles, even after parenteral inoculations of embryonated eggs. These results could provide basic data for further investigations on the migratory pathways of B. transfuga larvae or to perform immunological and therapeutical studies.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Observations on the infectivity of Baylisascaris transfuga eggs for mice.

To investigate the potential pathogenicity of Baylisascaris spp. nematodes, mice were experimentally infected with Baylisascaris transfuga eggs, which had been cultured in 0.1 N sulphuric acid, for a period in excess of 1 year. Infectivity for mice appeared after 2 weeks in cultures (2.8%), peaked after 4 weeks (37.4%) and then waned over the next 18 months. The implications of B. transfuga as a possible agent of visceral larva migrans in animals and humans was demonstrated.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Visceral larva migrans in mice experimentally infected with Baylisascaris transfuga (Ascarididae: Nematoda).

Laboratory bred albino mice, weighing 20 to 25 g, were orally infected with 2000 Baylisascaris transfuga infective eggs each. Mice were randomly chosen and sacrificed on days 1, 2, 3, 10, 15, 24 and 70 post-infection. Samples of intestine, mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, lungs, heart, spleen, kidneys, uterus, brain and skeletal muscles were collected and processed for conventional histopathology. In the early infection the major necropsy findings were focal haemorrhages on the intestinal wall, liver, lungs and brain. Histologically, larvae were found in haemorrhagic areas. In the subacute-chronic infection white nodules were scattered through all the examined organs, except the brain. Histologically, the white nodules corresponded to granulomas containing larvae surrounded by lymphocytes, eosinophil leukocytes and macrophages. The migration of B. transfuga larvae in spleen, kidneys and uterus of infected mice appears to have not been reported by previous workers. The possible role of B. transfuga larvae in the Visceral Larva Migrans syndrome is discussed.

Animals↗