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S Calvieri

Publications and source records attributed to S Calvieri.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Finasteride increases anagen hair in men with androgenetic alopecia.

BACKGROUND: The growth of scalp hair is a cyclical process of successive phases of growth (anagen) and rest (telogen). In previous clinical trials in men with androgenetic alopecia, treatment with finasteride increased scalp hair counts in a defined area (i.e. increased hair density). OBJECTIVES: The current study used a phototrichogram methodology to assess the effect of finasteride on the phases of the hair growth cycle. PATIENTS/METHODS: Two hundred and twelve men, age 18-40 years, with androgenetic alopecia were randomized to receive finasteride 1 mg daily or placebo for 48 weeks. At baseline and at 24 and 48 weeks, macrophotographs were taken to measure total and anagen hair count in a 1-cm(2) target area of the scalp. RESULTS: At baseline, mean total and anagen hair counts in the finasteride group were 200 and 124 hairs, respectively (% anagen = 62%) and the anagen to telogen ratio was 1.74 (geometric mean). In the placebo group, the respective values were 196 and 119 hairs (% anagen = 60%) and 1.57. At week 48, the finasteride group had a net improvement (mean +/- SE) compared with placebo in total and anagen hair counts of 17.3 +/- 2.5 hairs (8.3% +/- 1.4%) and 27.0 +/- 2.9 hairs (26% +/- 3.1%), respectively (P < 0.001). Furthermore, treatment with finasteride resulted in a net improvement in the anagen to telogen ratio of 47% (P < 0.001). In this study, treatment with finasteride 1 mg day(-1) for 48 weeks increased both total and anagen hair counts, and improved the anagen to telogen ratio. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide direct evidence that finasteride 1 mg daily promotes the conversion of hairs into the anagen phase. These data support that finasteride treatment results in favourable effects on hair quality that contribute to the visible improvements in hair growth observed in treated patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Florid cutaneous and mucosal papillomatosis with acanthosis nigricans revealing a primary lung cancer.

This is the report of an 80-year-old patient with diffuse brownish hyperpigmentation and velvety thickening of the skin with onset 1 year before. Warty lesions on his limbs were present as well as papillomatous and verrucous lesions on his lips, mouth and eyelid conjunctivae with hyperkeratosis of the nipples. Biopsies, performed at different sites, showed histological pictures consistent with a diagnosis of acanthosis nigricans (AN) with florid cutaneous and mucosal papillomatosis. This type of AN is frequently associated with internal malignancy. In our patient serum levels of tissue polypeptide antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen, cytokeratin fragment and squamous cell carcinoma antigen were high and chest computed tomography scan indicated a large tumour infiltrating the right lung and extending to the mediastinum. Cytological examination of bronchial drainage revealed the presence of neoplastic cells, non-small cell type carcinoma. The most frequent cancer associated with malignant AN is gastric adenocarcinoma. Lung tumour has rarely been reported with AN. Malignant AN is sometimes associated with other cutaneous and mucosal warty lesions, as in our patient. These various skin and mucosal lesions are the expression of a systemic epithelial disorder and may help clinicians to suspect a malignant form of AN.

Acanthosis Nigricans↗
PubMed1999

Ocular alterations in alopecia areata.

PURPOSE: To determine the ocular alterations occurring in alopecia areata with regard to the lens and fundus. METHODS: Seventy-five patients with alopecia areata were examined. Seventy healthy control patients unaffected by skin, ocular or systemic disorders were also studied. RESULTS: Symptomless punctate lens opacities were found in 38 (51%) patients, whereas only 2 (3%) control patients had similar lens changes. Fundus alterations were found in 31 (41%) cases of alopecia areata and in only 16 (23%) controls. CONCLUSIONS: These ocular alterations and their prevalence are reported and some theories regarding the possible aetiopathogenetic mechanisms are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Myotonic dystrophy (Steinert disease): a morphologic and biochemical hair study.

BACKGROUND: Myotonic dystrophy is a systemic genetic disorder, with dominant transmittance. It is characterized by generalized progressive muscular abnormality. Although frontoparietal alopecia is one of the most common symptoms in myotonic dystrophy, it has not received much attention. METHODS: We examined 25 subjects from two families: 10 patients were affected by Steinert disease and 15 were not. The various morphologic and biochemical hair alterations are reported. RESULTS: All investigated subjects (affected or not) presented the same type of morphologic and biochemical hair alterations. CONCLUSIONS: These findings could be used to construct a hypothesis to explain the cause of the disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Marie Unna hereditary hypotrichosis.

Hereditary congenital hypotrichosis is an autosomal dominant pilar dysplasia first described by Marie Unna in an extended German family. The diffuse hair defect typically occurs as an isolated phenomenon and the ultrastructural hair findings consist of both torsion and longitudinal grooving of the hair shaft. A large pedigree comprising 6 generations with 20 members affected by Marie Unna hypotrichosis from Italy is reported.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Serum mitogenic activity on in vitro glial cells in Neurofibromatosis type 1.

Glial mitogenic effect was investigated in sera from the following groups of subjects: group (1) 31 patients clinically and genetically affected by Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) belonging to different families; group (2) 42 patients without family history of NF1 affected by sporadic neoplasms of the same histogenetic origin as the proliferative lesions that are present in NF1; group (3) 51 healthy volunteers without family history of NF1 nor of neoplastic disease; group (4) 54 clinically healthy relatives of the NF1 patients included in the first group. All NF1 patients and 3/54 healthy relatives had alterations of exons 31 or 32 of NF1 gene. Glial proliferation, measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation, was significantly increased by sera from all NF1 patients and from 23/54 of clinically healthy relatives, as compared to sera from healthy volunteers. This serum mitogenic activity strongly suggests the existence of soluble glial proliferating molecules in NF1 families. The molecular weight (3-30 kDa), the heat- and freeze-stability and the specificity for glial cells, suggest that the molecules responsible for this mitogenic effect are different from the growth factors previously described in NF1-associated tumor extracts and from lymphokines. Within each NF1 family, the maximal serum dilution stimulating glial proliferation was similar both in affected members and in their clinically healthy relatives. Since none of the clinically healthy relatives showing serum mitogenic activity was positive for the NF1 mutation analysis and, conversely, those having altered exons 31 or 32 of NF1 gene did not show any mitogenic activity; these results suggest that the phenotype expression of NF1 might depend not only on the NF1 mutations per se, but also on other genetic or epigenetic factors, such as serum glial proliferating molecules.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

A novel insertion mutation (A169i) in the CLN1 gene is associated with infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis in an Italian patient.

Infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (INCL) is a progressive encephalopathy characterized by psychomotor deterioration, early visual loss, and an evanishing EEG. Mutations in the CLN1 gene encoding palmitoyl-protein thioesterase (ppt) have been reported in all Finnish INCL patients and in several non-Finnish North European patients. No cases have been contributed from the Mediterranean area thus far. We identified a single adenine insertion at nucleotide position 169 (A169i) in the CLN1 gene in a family in which the proband suffered from an INCL-like syndrome. The novel mutation was homozygous in blood from the proband, heterozygous in his healthy parents, and not found in control alleles. The mutation leads to an early stop codon resulting in an abnormal and truncated ppt protein. Our observations provide the first molecular characterization of an Italian INCL patient and expand the list of the known defects in INCL.

Brain↗
PubMed1998

Association of human papillomavirus type 11 with carcinoma of the penis.

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are epithelium-tropic viruses associated with several cutaneous, epithelial, and mucosal lesions. The oncogenic potential varies considerably among the more than 70 different genotypes so far identified. HPV 6 and 11 are generally found in benign genital condilomata or laryngeal papillomas, but they have been sporadically associated with genital malignancies. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primed by degenerated consensus oligonucleotides (from a late region of the HPV genome) allows one to amplify a broad spectrum of HPV, whereas the amplification with specific primers is restricted to a limited number of HPVs. Therefore, the restriction fragment length polymorphism assay permits one to identify the HPV type present in the PCR product. We report a case of an invasive verrucous carcinoma of the penis associated with HPV 11, a type previously considered noncarcinogenic.

Carcinoma, Verrucous↗
PubMed1998

Skin diseases in immigrants seen as out-patients in the Institute of Dermatology of the University of Rome 'La Sapienza' from 1989 to 1994.

In the Institute of Dermatology of the University of Rome 'La Sapienza' (IDURLS) from 1989 to 1994, 2198 immigrants from countries outside the European Community were seen as out-patients. Their personal and pathological data were collected by a particular software 'Questio', set up together with colleagues of the Interdepartimental Center for Scientific Calculous (ICSC) of the University of Rome 'La Sapienza'. The number of patients has been increasing from 326 in 1989 to 436 in 1994. Most of the people were coming from Africa, but from 1989 to 1994 the number of patients from the regions of ex-Yugoslavia has been increasing. About one third of the immigrants were unemployed, whereas 40% of them had a job (worker or employee), and the remaining 20% was composed by students and housewives. Most immigrants (1474 patients) were 20-39-year-old. Their data were compared with those of a control group composed by 2100 Italian people of the same age and sex, seen as out-patients in IDURLS in the same period. The most frequent skin disorders observed in immigrants were skin infectious or parasitic diseases, above all scabies. Excluding people with scabies, both immigrants and Italian patients shared the same skin diseases typical of young adult people: many fungal infections, many contact dermatitis and very few skin malignant tumors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

The detection of human papillomavirus DNA in skin tags.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with benign cutaneous or mucosal lesions and with malignant tumours, but none of the HPV types has so far been related to skin tags. Skin biopsy specimens from 49 Caucasian patients suffering from the presence of multiple soft fibromas were analysed by means of dot blot hybridization and by polymerase chain reaction assays aimed at detecting all known HPV types. The results revealed the presence of HPV DNA type 6/11 in 88% of the skin tags examined. This result supports the hypothesis that HPV plays a part in the progression of cutaneous soft fibromas, as previously reported for laryngeal papillomas.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (Rosai-Dorfman disease): case report with nodal and diffuse muco-cutaneous involvement.

Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (SHML) (Rosai-Dorfman disease) is a rare self-limited histiocytic disorder of unknown origin, usually present with cervical lymphadenopathy, fever, elevated ESR and haematologic abnormalities. Extranodal lesions may occur as initial manifestations of the disease. In most cases skin lesions are associated with nodal or extranodal localization. A 54-year-old male is reported who, for a period of ten months, presented numerous slowly enlarging, rounded papular lesions on the face, neck, trunk as well as severe cervical lymphadenopathy without general and haematological disturbances. Thereafter a fungating mass developed in the nasal cavity. Histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical tests of skin, mucosal and lymph-node lesions were consistent with a diagnosis of SHML. The immunohistochemical characterization of the cytophagocytic S-100+ macrophages revealed that they were highly positive for the adhesion molecules Vitronectin receptor av/b3, which is used by tissue macrophages for removal of effete cells through phagocytosis.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMed1998

Mammary Paget's disease with acantholytic features and without any detectable breast tumor.

Paget's disease is usually associated with an underlying adenocarcinoma of the breast. The initial manifestation is an eczematous or psoriasiform lesion of the nipple, soon extending to the mammary areola and then to the surrounding skin. The histology of the lesions is characterized by the presence, within the epidermal layer, of the so-called Paget's cells, i.e. large cells with vesicular nucleus and clear cytoplasm. The authors report a recent case of Paget's disease of the breast in a 75-year-old woman, unusual both for clinical course and observed histology. As for the clinico-evolutive aspects, although in the case observed the initial skin lesions appeared 20 years before, the different diagnostic procedures repeatedly performed showed no evidence in this patient of an underlying adenocarcinoma. The histologic aspect, on the other hand, was peculiar since the typical characteristics of an acantholytic disease were evident. The presence of intraepidermal cleavages with lost, at times, of the normal contacts among the cells of the Malpighian layer has been described only once in Paget's disease. This fact caused some diagnostic difficulties: however, the typical finding of the Paget cells, their positivity to histochemical methods such as cytokeratin and acid phosphatase allowed the diagnosis. The authors, at last, evaluate the need of a surgical therapy in Paget's disease of the breast without an underlying adenocarcinoma.

Acantholysis↗
PubMed1997

Postsurgical adjuvant therapy for melanoma. Evaluation of a 3-year randomized trial with recombinant interferon-alpha after 3 and 5 years of follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Early surgical intervention is still the most successful therapy for patients with melanoma. The results obtained with medical therapies are still quite disappointing, with better results observed in soft tissue and lymph node metastasis. There currently is no standardized adjuvant therapy for primary melanoma. On the basis of the activity demonstrated in vitro against melanoma cell lines and the results obtained in many clinical trials in patients with advanced melanoma, the authors chose to study the use of recombinant interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) as adjuvant therapy for patients with Stage I and Stage II melanoma. METHODS: A randomized multicenter trial based on the use of recombinant IFN-alpha-2b for 3 years at the dose of 3 MU given intramuscularly 3 times a week for a period of 6 months with a 1-month interval between cycles was conducted in Stage I and Stage II melanoma patients (using the American Joint Committee on Cancer classification). The efficacy of this treatment was evaluated calculating the incidence of recurrence after 3 and 5 years. RESULTS: Results were collected at the end of the treatment period and after 5 years of follow-up for a smaller number of patients. Statistical evaluation showed a significant difference between treated patients and untreated controls with regard to progression of the disease. In particular, IFN-alpha appears to be more effective in patients with worse prognosis lesions. CONCLUSIONS: IFN-alpha appears to be effective as adjuvant therapy for high risk melanoma patients and the risk/benefit ratio appears to be very favorable. The authors' next goal is to separate those patients who might benefit from adjuvant therapy from those who are cured after the surgical intervention only.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1997

Relationship between cutaneous and pulmonary involvement in systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary disease may shorten survival in patients affected by systemic sclerosis (SSc). However, pulmonary involvement may commonly be silent, whereas skin fibrosis is usually the clinical feature drawing most attention. We investigated the relationship between cutaneous and pulmonary involvement during SSc. METHODS: We studied 52 patients (mean age 50.2 +/- 13.7 years) affected by SSc (mean duration of disease 13.8 +/- 9.5 years). Twenty-eight had the diffuse form of the disease (dSSc) and 24 the limited form (lSSc). All patients underwent pulmonary function studies, high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the lungs, and complete echocardiographic examination. Pulmonary artery systolic pressure was measured by Doppler echocardiography. Pulmonary interstitial fibrosis and skin fibrosis were evaluated using a point system. RESULTS: Mean percentages of predicted values of forced vital capacity and total lung capacity were significantly reduced in patients with dSSc compared to lSSc (80.0 +/- 18.9 vs 98.4 +/- 16.8%, p < 0.001; and 81.3 +/- 13.9 vs 92.1 +/- 14.2%, p < 0.01, respectively). The overall HRCT score was 6.1 +/- 4.9, with no significant differences between disease subgroups. However, a HRCT score of 10 or more was present in 10 patients with dSSc vs 2 patients with lSSc (p = 0.02). Pulmonary hypertension was present in 27 patients, 15 with lSSC and 12 with dSSc (p = NS). No significant correlation was observed between skin score and lung volumes, carbon monoxide diffusing capacity, HRCT score, or pulmonary artery systolic pressure for all patients and subgroups. CONCLUSION: Extent and severity of cutaneous and pulmonary involvement in SSc are not directly correlated. Nevertheless, different patterns of pulmonary involvement between SSc subgroups were observed. Restrictive lung disease was more frequent in patients with dSSc, while a trend to higher prevalence of pulmonary hypertension was observed in patients with lSSc.

Adult↗