Biomedical subjects

S Luca

Publications and source records attributed to S Luca.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1996

Preliminary results of beta-interferon treatment in the elderly.

The authors studied 26 patients presenting with chronic hepatitis C who were diagnosed by clinical and histological tests. Thirteen patients were treated with beta-interferon (3 x 10(6) IM for 2 months and consecutive 6 x 10(6) IM for 10 months) every second evening, while the remaining 13 received aspecific treatment. Our results revealed normalization of transaminase accompanied by marked improvement of their clinical and histological pictures in 54 percent of the patients on beta-interferon. All the patients treated with beta-interferon were followed up for a 12-month drug-free period, after which the disease reappeared in 57 percent of the responders.

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PubMed1993

[Treatment with an aldose reductase inhibitor in peripheral neuropathy in elderly diabetic patients].

Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is one of the most frequent and severe long-term complications in elderly diabetes. Most scientists believe that onset of chronic complications in diabetics is due to prolonged glycometabolic imbalance. Recently aldose reductase inhibitors (ARI) have been used in the treatment of DN. We studied 100 elderly subjects affected by diabetes mellitus who were treated with tolrestat, an ARI, for a year and a control group who received a placebo. All subjects underwent the following examinations at the start of treatment and then at 8, 24, 42 and 52 weeks: 1. electromyography of the lower and upper limbs', 2. biotensiometric evaluation of the vibratory perception threshold (VPT), 3. glycosylated hemoglobin, 4. hourly glycemic profile, azotemia, creatininemia, hemochrome, cholesterol, triglycerides, bilirubin, electrolytes, protidogram, urine. The patients on tolrestat showed: increased nerve conduction velocity (mean values 2.3 m/sec) of the ulnar nerve; increased nerve conduction velocity (mean values 3.9 m/sec) of the peroneal nerve; reduced VPT at the right and left first toe (mean values 5 and 7 volts respectively); reduced VPT at the right and left malleoli (mean values 10 and 8 volts respectively). The authors recommend prompt, long term ARI treatment be initiated before the onset of evident signs of neuropathy in elderly subjects.

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PubMed1992

Treatment of chronic hepatitis C with recombinant interferon alpha 2b.

The authors studied 70 patients affected by chronic hepatitis C where diagnosis had been made by clinical and histological tests. Intramuscular recombinant alpha 2b interferon (3 x 10(6)) was administered to 35 patients every second evening for 6 months, whereas the other 35 received aspecific treatment. Our results revealed normalization of transaminase in 57% of the patients, with distinct improvement of their clinical and histological pictures. All patients on interferon were followed up for a six-month drug free period, after which the disease reappeared in 50% of the responders.

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PubMedDate not supplied

The prevalence of various arrhythmias in normotensive and hypertensive elderly patients.

The prevalence of the most frequent arrhythmias was studied in a geriatric day hospital. Patients older than 65 years have been considered, of them 118 were normotensive and 56 hypertensive subjects. Comparison of the two groups revealed no statistically significant difference either in the frequency of occurrence or in the type of arrhythmias. Dividing the hypertensive patients in the Lown's classes, only those of class 3 or over displayed a considerably higher frequency of arrhythmias than the normotensive subjects. The results demonstrate the age-dependent increase of the prevalence of arrhythmias in general, and the increased occurrence of complex ventricular types in the hypertensive subjects.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Different types of interferon for the therapy of HCV chronic active hepatitis in the elderly patient.

HCV correlated hepatitis is a pathology on the increase, and it is especially affecting patients above 60 years old. The only treatment for this disease is therapy with different types of interferon. The authors take into examination three of their previous studies on treatment of HCV correlated chronic hepatitis in the elderly using different types of interferon: recombinant interferon alpha, interferon beta, and lymphoblastoid interferon, in order to evaluate which one, among the three, should be the best for the treatment of this pathology in the elderly. The data show that recombinant interferon alpha is preferable since the remission percentage is higher (75%), compared to beta (53.8%) and lymphoblastoid interferon (60%). As far as the relevant side-effects in elderly patients are concerned, beta-interferon therapy is almost with no side-effects. Even in cases where there could be a possible higher exposure to side-effects linked to the use of recombinant interferon alpha, still, the risk/benefit ratio suggests that this particular drug should be used for treating this pathology in elderly patients.

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PubMedDate not supplied

[Spectral analysis of EEG signals in Alzheimer's disease].

UNLABELLED: Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents the most frequent cause of senile dementia in Western countries. The disease has a slow onset and gradual progress. Over the past few years considerable importance has been attributed to the diagnostic techniques of brain imaging able to highlight morphological and functional images. EEG mapping is one of the most widely used methods. METHODS: The authors evaluated the characteristics of EEG mapping in relation to frequency and amplitude in a group of elderly patients with AD and in a group of healthy elderly control subjects. The former group consisted of 10 patients with AD aged between 65 and 83 years old. The control group included 10 healthy subjects who were matched for age and sex. RESULTS: The spectral analysis of EEG signals relating to frequency and amplitude showed a slowing down of underlying activity in AD patients, with a frequency between 1 and 4 c/sec, amplitudes below 5 microW and no arrest reaction. In healthy subjects spectral analysis showed a signal percentage colocated at a frequency of between 8 and 13 c/sec in relation to frequency. CONCLUSIONS: In view of these results, the authors recommend the use of EEG mapping to complete the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in the aged.

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PubMedDate not supplied

[Study of mapped slow auditory evoked potentials in Alzheimer's disease].

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease affects around 500,000 persons in Italy and its diagnosis remains essentially clinical. Our aim was to contribute to the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease by mapping auditory evoked potentials (AEP). Evoked potentials represent the electric response of the CNS to an external stimulus and can be represented as a sequence of waves. Brain mapping allows a chromotopogram to be compiled showing chromatic maps. METHODS: A group of 12 patients were studied aged between 68 and 84 years old who were referred to our attention at the Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology at Catania University and the A.O. Cannizzaro, Geriatrics Unit. All patients completed an assessment form (MM-SE, ADAS) and underwent brain NMR and AEP. RESULTS: These tests enabled us to identify two types of patients (Group A and Group B) based on the responses shown. The overall evaluation of results revealed that patients with Alzheimer-type dementia present an anomalous cortical neurogenic response to mapped AEP, and that patients in Group A showed anomalous wave morphology, latency and localisation and asymmetric impregnation. The data gathered in this study did not confirm any specific characteristics of AEP given that similar anomalies are found in metabolic dysfunction syndromes and demyelination pathologies. CONCLUSIONS: However, while it does not constitute a specific technique for screening against Alzheimer's disease, the mapping of AEP may contribute to the diagnosis of this disease.

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PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of treatment with Simvastatin in elderly patients with primary hypercholesterolemia.

Atherosclerosis and its complications are the main cause of death and disability in affluent nations, especially in the elderly population. Lipids and lipoproteins play an important role in its pathogenesis. The authors treated a group of elderly patients with Simvastatin (20 mg/day for 1 year), a HMG CoA reductase inhibitor and observed a significant reduction in total cholesterol (p < 0.001). LDL (p < 0.001) and beta apolipoproteins (p < 0.05). They also achieved regression of the atherosclerotic plaque in 5 patients and arrested the atherosclerotic process in 8. The authors intend to conduct further studies in this field to better define the action of Simvastin on the atherosclerotic plaque.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment of chronic hepatitis C with lymphoblastoid interferon alpha in elderly patients.

One hundred patients with severe Chronic C Hepatitis, > 60 years of age and a life expectancy > 10 yrs were randomised to receive a course of lymphoblastoid a-IFN or a non specific support therapy as control. Patients randomised to IFN (no. 50) were treated with 3MU i.m. every two days for 2 months and then with 6MU i.m. every second two days for additional 10 months. All patients were followed-up for 12 months at the end of treatment. At the end of treatment, 30/50 patients in the IFN group showed a complete remission with normalisation of ALT and AST values (60%). Partial remission occurred in 11 patients (22%) whose transaminase values improved but did not normalise. No response was seen in 9 cases (18%) who showed similar pre- and post- treatment transaminase levels. On the contrary, normalisation of ALT-AST was observed in just two patients assigned to the non-specific therapy, whereas pre- and post-treatment values were similar in the remaining 48 patients. In patients receiving IFN a marked histological improvement was observed at the end of therapy in 22 responders (73.3%) and in 6 partial or non responders (30%) treated with IFN. No histological improvement was observed in control patients. At the end of the 12-month follow-up (24 months from the beginning of the study), 12 responders relapsed (40%) showing levels of transaminase which returned to the pre-treatment values within the second month from the IFN discontinuation. Therefore 18 out of 50 patients (36%) showed a long-term response to lymphoblastoid interferon. Lymphoblastoid a-IFN is an effective and safe therapy in elderly patients whose life expectancy justify its use and generates responses which are similar to those observed in younger subjects.

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