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Biomedical subjects

R Ricciardi

Publications and source records attributed to R Ricciardi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Efficacy of intranasal administration of neostigmine in myasthenic patients.

The efficacy of intranasally administered neostigmine was tested in 22 patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (MG). Topical therapy to the highly vascularized oropharynx proved to be quickly effective in 5-15 min both clinically and electrophysiologically. Twenty-eight MG patients were then recruited from different centres and their morning doses of oral pyridostigmine were substituted with intranasal neostigmine over a period of 2 or 3 weeks. Intranasal neostigmine proved to be equally efficacious in this regimen. No side-effect was noted even in 4 patients treated in this way for 1 year. Intranasal administration of anti-acetylcholinesterase may be very beneficial: (1) for patients with irregular absorption of oral doses; (2) early in the morning and every time a fast and temporary effect is needed; (3) in bulbar impairment and emergencies, in which a handy atomizer may be life-saving.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1992

[Presence and significance of anticardiolipin antibodies in infectious diseases].

IgG and IgM anti-cardiolipin antibodies were measured, by an ELISA technique, in the sera of patients with B hepatitis (28), infectious mononucleosis (10), chicken pox (12), HIV infection (20), acquired toxoplasmosis (41) and other infectious diseases [HBsAg+ chronic hepatitis (5), brucellosis (6), herpes zoster (4), boutonneuse fever (3), viral pneumonitis (4), rheumatic fever (2)]. Increased levels of anti-cardiolipin antibodies (aCL), at least in one immunoglobulin class, were detected in 37 out of 135 patients [27.4%; range: 7.3% (in the patients with toxoplasmosis) -80% (in the patients with HIV infection)]. Low or medium titer aCL were present in 28 patients, high titer in 9 (6 with HIV infection, 2 with chicken pox and I with lymphoadenopathic toxoplasmosis). None of the manifestations associated with aCL was present in the aCL-positive patients. Finally, positivity for aCL didn't seem to modify the clinical picture and the prognosis of the infectious disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Transformation of normal human melanocytes and non-malignant nevus cells by adenovirus 12-SV40 hybrid virus.

Infection of normal human melanocyte and nevus cultures with an adenovirus 12-Simian Virus 40 hybrid virus (Ad12-SV40) produced transformed cells that expressed SV40-T antigen. The Ad12-SV40 cells exhibited rapid cell proliferation to high cell densities and efficient growth in soft agar, but none of 15 transformed melanocyte and nevus cultures formed tumors when injected s.c. or under the renal capsule into athymic nude mice. While the Ad12-SV40-transformed cells lost certain properties associated with the melanocytic phenotype, i.e., pigmentation, tyrosinase activity and melanosome content, the expression of melanoma-associated antigens, including nerve growth factor receptor, p97 melano-transferrin, and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, remained stable. The transformed melanocytes acquired the ability to express HLA-DR antigen, which is found on nevus and melanoma cells. Total ganglioside patterns in Ad12-SV40-transformed cells changed to reflect more advanced stages of tumor progression. Transformed melanocytes, like nevus and melanoma cells, showed increased GD3 content and transformed nevus cells increased GD2 which is a feature of malignant melanoma cells. Ad12-SV40-transformed human melanocytes and nevus cells are useful tools for studying tumor progression under experimental conditions.

Adenoviruses, Human↗
PubMed1987

[Plasma fibronectin and alcoholic liver disease].

The authors examined, in 58 chronic alcoholics, the behaviour of plasma fibronectin, SGPT and seric albumin. Among the patients, ten were without liver damage while the others were affected with alcoholic liver disease at different stages, such as steatosis (12), steatofibrosis (14), evolutive chronic hepatitis (10), cirrhosis (12). The levels of plasma fibronectin appeared significantly increased in the cases with steatofibrosis, evolutive chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis; unimportant changes were noted in the cases with steatosis. SGPT always resulted increased, showing the existence of cytolysis related with plasma fibronectin levels, while seric albumin was constantly reduced with negative ratio to fibronectin levels, except in cases of decompensated cirrhosis. The authors believe that the monitoring of plasma fibronectin in chronic alcoholics may be a suitable means to reveal an increased liver fibrosis.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunohistochemical localization of lactoferrin in duodenojejunal mucosa from celiac children.

The immunohistochemical localization of lactoferrin (LF) was investigated in the duodenojejunal mucosa of children with untreated and treated celiac disease and in a control group of children of short stature and of children with postenteritis syndrome. In subtotal villous atrophy, LF was present in all epithelial cells of the luminal surface with a lower degree of positivity in crypts, whereas a variable degree of reactivity for LF was observed in epithelial cells of reconstituted villi and crypts. The LF mucosal distribution, however, was not specific for celiac disease since the LF pattern was similar in untreated celiac disease and also in postenteritis syndrome. Moreover, LF was detectable only in 7 of 18 duodenojejunal juice samples obtained from untreated and treated celiac patients and normal controls, the observed values being irrespective of the mucosal morphological status. We conclude that the immunohistochemical evidence of LF in the enterocyte may derive from an autochthonous production since our histochemical findings cannot be related to the concentration of LF in duodenal juice.

Anemia, Hypochromic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The behaviour of the seric immunoglobulins in brucellosis (author's transl)].

The Authors studied the behaviour of the seroproteic picture and of the seric immunoglobulins in 34 patients affected with brucellosis, almost all of which came from a single epidemic center, some in the initial phase and others in an advanced stage. As regards the seroproteins they found a constant increase in the globulin, which was more apparent in the beta and gamma fractions. As far as the immunoglobulins are concerned they demonstrated an increase in all three classes examined, but a clearer one in the IgM at the beginning of the illness. However the Authors were not able to find evidence of the usual diphasism probably depending on the fact that the primary phase can develope in a pre-clinical stage.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Studies on the relation between the production of anti-O and anti-H agglutinins and the specific treatment of typhoid fever].

The AA, studied the behaviour of anti-O and anti-H agglutinins in patients with typhoid fever treated with CAF or with CAF+ corticosteroides. They have shown that, during the treatment with antibiotics, the O-agglutinins, which appeared extremely quickly, can be present at a high level and for a long time in the serum; on the other hand the H-agglutinins are usually present at a lower level and tend to decrease more rapidly. In patients treated with CAF+ corticosteroides the agglutinins behaviour was not substancially different from that in patients treated with antibiotic only. These modifications in humoral immunity are notable only when treatment is begun early. On the basis of the results and of data in the most recent literature, the AA. also discuss the problem of typhoid relapses, the pathogenesis of which cannot depend from the modifications of humoral immunity only.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Alcohol and idiopathic dilatated cardiomyopathy: a pathogenetic hypothesis].

In a group of 120 chronic alcoholics, we observed two cases of severe dilated cardiomyopathy, fatal within a year, similar to the so called "idiopathic" form, among cases of cardiovascular involvement related to alcohol abuse (63.5%) but susceptible of improvement following abstention. On the basis of their observation we believe that alcohol itself, as has already been demonstrated for certain viruses, in the presence of particular genetic factors can cause the onset of an immune reaction able to impart an autonomous course which cannot be checked even after abstention from alcohol.

Alcoholism↗