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S Cuppini

Publications and source records attributed to S Cuppini.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Deep-vein thrombosis and the incidence of subsequent symptomatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: In contrast to the established relation between overt cancer and subsequent venous thromboembolism, it is unclear whether symptomatic deep-vein thrombosis is associated with a risk of subsequent overt malignant disease. METHODS: Two hundred sixty consecutive patients with symptomatic, venographically proved deep-vein thrombosis were enrolled in a study, of whom 250 were followed during a two-year period. Among those assessed during follow-up, the incidence of subsequently detected cancer in the 105 patients with secondary venous thrombosis (i.e., thrombosis associated with a well-recognized risk factor other than cancer) was compared with the incidence of cancer in the 145 patients with idiopathic venous thrombosis. RESULTS: Routine examination at the time of diagnosis of the venous thrombosis revealed cancer in 5 of the 153 enrolled patients with idiopathic venous thrombosis (3.3 percent) and in none of the 107 enrolled patients with secondary venous thrombosis. During follow-up, overt cancer developed in 2 of the 105 patients with secondary venous thrombosis (1.9 percent) and in 11 of the 145 patients with idiopathic venous thrombosis (7.6 percent; odds ratio, 2.3; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.0 to 5.2; P = 0.043). Of the 145 patients with idiopathic venous thrombosis, 35 had confirmed recurrent thromboembolism. Overt cancer subsequently developed in 6 of the 35 (17.1 percent). The incidence of cancer in the patients with recurrent idiopathic venous thrombosis was higher than that in the patients with secondary venous thrombosis (P = 0.008; odds ratio, 9.8; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.8 to 52.2) or in the patients with idiopathic venous thrombosis that did not recur (P = 0.024; odds ratio, 4.3; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.2 to 15.3). CONCLUSIONS: There is a statistically significant and clinically important association between idiopathic venous thrombosis and the subsequent development of clinically overt cancer, especially among patients in whom venous thromboembolism recurs during follow-up.

Aged

Dermatan sulphate: a safe approach to prevention of postoperative deep vein thrombosis.

To assess the efficacy and safety of dermatan sulphate (MF 701) in preventing postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT), 324 patients aged 40 years or over undergoing elective major general surgical operations were included in a randomized trial comparing MF 701 (100 mg intramuscularly once a day) with unfractionated calcium heparin (UFH, 5000 units subcutaneously three times daily). Both treatments were initiated before operation and continued until discharge. In all, 316 patients were included in the analysis (MF 701, 157; UFH, 159). Serial impedance plethysmography was performed in all patients; a 125I-radiolabelled fibrinogen uptake test was added to impedance plethysmography in a randomized subsample of 62 patients (MF 701, 28; UFH, 34). Positivity in either test was confirmed where possible by venography. DVT was diagnosed by venography or, when this could not be performed, by positivity of either impedance plethysmography or fibrinogen uptake test. The incidence of DVT was 3.1 per cent (patients receiving MF 701) and 1.6 per cent (those receiving UFH) in patients undergoing impedance plethysmography alone, and 7.1 and 11.8 per cent, respectively, in those undergoing both impedance plethysmography and fibrinogen uptake test; in neither case was the difference between treatments statistically significant. There were five in-hospital deaths, two in patients receiving MF 701 and three in patients on UFH. The incidence of clinically overt haemorrhage was 5.7 per cent in patients on MF 701 and 17.6 per cent in those on UFH (P less than 0.01). Postoperative transfusions and reoperations due to bleeding were significantly less frequent in patients receiving MF 701. Mortality rates at 3 months were similar for the two treatment groups. Compared with standard prophylaxis using UFH, MF 701 showed a similar efficacy with a significantly greater safety.

Adult

Failure of thrombin-antithrombin III complexes in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis.

Plasma thrombin-antithrombin III (T-AT) complexes are reputed to be an indirect manifestation of thrombin generation, and a role for their determination in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has been advocated. In order to evaluate the accuracy of T-AT complexes assay for DVT diagnosis, in 166 consecutive outpatients with clinical suspicion of the disease, plasma concentration of T-AT complexes was measured immediately before venography by means of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The result of the T-AT complexes assay was elevated in 29 of the 48 patients with DVT (sensitivity, 60%). The T-AT complexes levels were within the normal range in 104 of the 118 patients with normal venograms (specificity, 88%). The positive and the negative predictive value were 67% and 85%, respectively. The authors conclude that the T-AT complexes assay is of little value for the diagnosis of DVT in outpatients.

Adolescent

Deep vein thrombosis and fibrinolysis. Defective urokinase type plasminogen activator release.

In the present study 57 consecutive patients with a first episode of venographically proven deep vein thrombosis were investigated to evaluate the release of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) in response to DDAVP stimulation as well as the resting plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) concentration, comparing this to the results obtained in 66 similar patients with a clinical suspicion of thrombosis but with a normal venogram. All assays were performed without knowledge of the patient's status. Four patients in the deep vein thrombosis-group (7%) had an absent u-PA antigen response upon DDAVP infusion, while a normal response was observed in all control subjects. Patients and controls showed similar increases in t-PA antigen level upon DDAVP. High resting PAI antigen levels were encountered in 5 patients in the deep vein thrombosis-group (9%) and in 6 subjects in the control group (9%). The results from this controlled study indicate that a defective release of u-PA may occur in patients with deep vein thrombosis and may have pathogenetic significance. Furthermore it is concluded that elevation of PAI levels cannot be considered as a specific risk factor for venous thrombosis.

Antigens

Failure of computerized impedance plethysmography in the diagnostic management of patients with clinically suspected deep-vein thrombosis.

Before a new diagnostic modality can be introduced in clinical medicine, the validity of both a normal and abnormal test result have to be assessed prospectively in an appropriate patient group. We have evaluated the clinical validity of a new computerized impedance plethysmography (CIP) in the diagnostic management of 381 consecutive patients with clinically suspected venous thrombosis. In patients with serially normal CIP results, the diagnosis of venous thrombosis was refuted and, consequently, they were not treated with anticoagulant therapy and all were followed up for a period of 6 months to estimate the occurrence of symptomatic venous thromboembolism. The study was prematurely terminated by the safety monitoring committee because of an unacceptably high incidence of confirmed venous thromboembolism (10 patients, 3.2%; 95% confidence interval: 1.6% to 6%), including 4 episodes of fatal pulmonary embolism. In a subsequent explanatory study using ultrasonography in 29 other symptomatic patients who had at least 2 repeated normal CIP test results, the failure of CIP to detect proximal vein thrombosis was confirmed in 4 patients (14%). The reasons for this failure are probably related to the use of a modified device to measure impedance in the CIP apparatus, resulting in a lower ability to separate patients without venous thrombosis from those with the disease. We concluded that CIP is insensitive for the detection of proximal vein thrombosis and, therefore, not clinically useful in the diagnostic management of patients with suspected venous thrombosis.

Adolescent

Enzymatic patterns in reptilian brain. Histochemical characterization of the optic tectum.

The enzymatic patterns present in the optic tectum of 4 species belonging to different reptilian orders seem related to the degree of structural and functional organization reached by the nervous centre, as in other vertebrates. In particular the AChE localization in reptiles is representative of a evolutionary sequence in the distribution of this enzyme in the optic tectum along the tetrapode series.

Acetylcholinesterase

[Occult pulmonary embolism in patients with proximal deep venous thrombosis].

It is known that proximal deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower limbs is associated with a high risk of pulmonary embolism (PE). However, only a few patients presenting with clinically symptomatic DVT exhibit symptoms or signs suggestive of this complication. The prevalence of silent PE in these patients is unknown. In order to assess the true prevalence of PE in a patient population presenting with venographically proven proximal DVT but without symptoms of PE, a perfusion lung scan was performed in 100 consecutive patients at presentation. Fifty-nine patients (59%) had a high probability lung scan (segmental or larger perfusion defects in lung areas free from abnormalities as shown by conventional chest x-ray) at the initiation of heparin treatment. At repeated lung scanning, performed after 10 days of anticoagulant treatment, complete to partial improvement was observed in 41 of these patients (71%), whereas in 13 (23%) the picture was unchanged and in 3 (5.2%) it worsened. In 6 patients who developed symptoms suggestive of PE during the study period, a lung scan was immediately repeated and correct interpretation of the clinical manifestation was permitted by comparison with the initial scan. It is concluded that lung-scan--detected asymptomatic PE occurs frequently in patients with proximal DVT, and that the majority of these emboli resolve within 10 days of anticoagulant treatment. In order to manage correctly patients who develop clinical manifestations suggestive of PE while undergoing therapy for venous thrombosis, a baseline lung scan is strongly recommended in all patients with proven proximal DVT.

Adolescent