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R Ranza

Publications and source records attributed to R Ranza.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Effect of lactation on postmenopausal bone mineral density of the lumbar spine.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between lactation and bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine in a cohort of 540 healthy, postmenopausal women. STUDY DESIGN: Women were selected who experienced long-term lactation (n = 155, median 18 months) or short-term lactation (n = 168, median 3 months) or who were parous, nonlactating subjects (n = 217). The groups were homogeneous in age and differed in body mass index, parity and age at menopause. Vertebral BMD was measured by x-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference in BMD was found between groups or after adjusting for body mass index, number of live births and age at menopause. Even when the 86 women with the longest lactation history (median 22 months) were matched with 112 parous women with the same parity who did not lactate, we could not find any significant difference. CONCLUSION: Long-term lactation did not significantly affect postmenopausal vertebral BMD in a cohort of healthy women.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1994

Methotrexate in psoriatic polyarthritis.

Methotrexate (MTX) is widely accepted as an effective treatment for psoriasis and chronic polyarthrides. We report data from 54 psoriatic polyarthritis patients (354 encounters) treated with MTX. 65% were males, mean age 47.9 years, mean disease duration 9.8 years for arthritis, 14.2 years for psoriasis. The MTX dose was 10-12.5 mg/week. 32 patients are still on MTX after a mean treatment time of 1.6 years. 22 patients discontinued MTX treatment: 11 felt it to be ineffective, in 6 patients there were side effects, 3 patients obtained remission, while 2 patients underwent surgery. Efficacy was good on the whole: number of swollen and tender joints, global disease activity score, ESR, and CRP all underwent a significant reduction. The intake of symptomatic drugs was reduced in 40%. Psoriasis as assessed with the Psoriasis Activity and Severity Index showed a significant improvement. Our data confirm that MTX is of value in most psoriatic polyarthritis patients (60%). In our experience, this drug, gives the maximum efficacy within 6 months of therapy.

Arthritis, Psoriatic↗
PubMed1993

Rifamycin SV versus triamcinolone in local treatment of rheumatoid synovitis.

This study was aimed to evaluate the usefulness of rifamycin SV as an agent for local treatment of rheumatoid synovitis. Rifamycin SV was compared with triamcinolone acetonide in a randomized controlled trial on 87 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and with persistent knee synovitis. The treatment with rifamycin consisted of several weekly intra-articular injections, whereas triamcinolone was given as a single intra-articular injection. At the end of the therapy, 27 (61.4%) of the 44 rifamycin patients and 39 (91%) of the 43 steroid patients responded well to the treatment, and this difference was significant (p < 0.01). Rifamycin SV was responsible for unpleasant local side effects in all cases. In both groups, after 1 year of follow-up the synovitis had relapsed in about 42% of cases. We conclude that rifamycin SV is less useful than triamcinolone acetonide in the local treatment of rheumatoid synovitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Immunoglobulin heavy chain gene polymorphisms in Italian patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

A polymorphism of the switch region of the mu IgH gene (S mu) is associated with arthritis in English patients with psoriasis. In this study, Italian patients with psoriasis alone (PS) or psoriatic arthritis (PSA) were analysed by Southern blot using DNA probes for the S mu region and a hypervariable locus 5' of the joining (JH) region of IgH (5' JH). No association between PSA and IgH gene polymorphisms was found. However, an association was found between PS and a genotype of the 5' JH region (Fisher's P = 0.0002, RR = 27). Additional DNA markers around the S mu region may reveal more accurate markers for PS or PSA.

Arthritis, Psoriatic↗
PubMed1990

[Clinical framework of psoriatic arthropathy. Proposal of an evaluation protocol].

Psoriatic arthropathy is an inflammatory seronegative arthritis characterized by an involvement of peripheral or axial joints in association with psoriasis. In this study the clinical features of both skin and joints have been observed simultaneously by a rheumatologist and a dermatologist. We have finally proposed a clinical protocol based on PASI to evaluate psoriasis and on a simple subset classification to estimate joint involvement.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The Italian version of the Functional Disability Index of the Health Assessment Questionnaire. A reliable instrument for multicenter studies on rheumatoid arthritis.

A working group of ten rheumatology institutes (UNIREUM) was formed in Italy to promote multicenter therapeutic studies on rheumatoid arthritis. The Functional Disability Index (FDI) of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) was chosen as a measure of disability. This paper reports the results of a multicenter study to validate an Italian translation of the instrument and to assess its reliability and validity. Two questions were modified to achieve cross-cultural equivalence. Back-translation into English showed agreement with the American instrument. Reproducibility was high: the test-retest correlation coefficient was 0.989 and ranged from 0.81 to 0.99 for the centers taken separately. Validity was confirmed by a correlation coefficient of 0.95 between the patient self-attributed and the physician-attributed FDI scores. We conclude that our Italian version of the HAQ FDI is a reliable and valid self-administered instrument.

Adult↗