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Biomedical subjects

T Macchia

Publications and source records attributed to T Macchia.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Experimentally induced aggressive behavior in subjects with 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine ("Ecstasy") use history: psychobiological correlates.

PURPOSE: Objective measures of experimentally induced aggressiveness were evaluated in 12 male 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy") users, in comparison with 20 healthy male subjects. METHODS: All the subjects were preliminarily submitted to DSM-IV interviews and Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI). During a laboratory task, the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP), subjects earned monetary reinforcers with repeated button presses, and were provoked by the subtraction of money that was attributed to a fictitious other participant. Subjects could respond by ostensibly subtracting money from the fictitious subject (the aggressive response). Escape responses were also possible protecting the counter from monetary subtractions. RESULTS: Money-earning responses were not different in Ecstasy users and controls; aggressive responses were significantly higher in Ecstasy users in comparison with control subjects (F=20.74, P<.001). Baseline adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol (CORT) levels were higher in Ecstasy users than in controls. No difference was found in norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI) basal levels of the two groups. During the experimentally induced aggressiveness, plasma ACTH concentrations increased significantly less and NE and EPI levels, together with heart rate (HR), increased significantly more in Ecstasy users than in healthy subjects. Despite ACTH-blunted responses, CORT did not increase differently from controls in Ecstasy users. PSAP aggressive responses positively correlated with catecholamines and CORT changes, BDHI Direct Aggression and Irritability scores, both in Ecstasy users and controls. A significant correlation was found between Ecstasy exposure extent and aggressive responses (r=.78, P<.001). IMPLICATIONS: Our findings suggest that Ecstasy users have higher outward-directed aggressiveness than healthy subjects. Aggressiveness in MDMA subjects seems to be associated more with MDMA pharmacological effects than with personality traits: Nevertheless, a premorbid psychobiological proneness to aggressive behavior cannot be excluded. Increased catecholamines reactivity, basal hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity, and blunted ACTH responses could be due to MDMA action on monoaminergic pathways and adrenal function.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Neuroendocrine correlates of depression in abstinent heroin-dependent subjects.

The functions of the central alpha-adrenergic, serotoninergic and dopaminergic systems were investigated in 28 heroin-dependent subjects 6-8 weeks after detoxification, and in 22 healthy control subjects (group C). Fourteen heroin-dependent subjects with depressive comorbidity (group A), and 14 heroin-dependent subjects without other Axis I and II pathologies (group B) were included among abstinent substance abusers. Norepinephrine (NE) function was evaluated by growth hormone (GH) responses to acute stimulation with clonidine (clon); serotonin (5-HT) function by prolactin (PRL) and cortisol (CORT) responses to acute stimulation with D-fenfluramine (D-fen) and dopamine (DA) function by GH and PRL responses to acute administration of bromocriptine (brom). Central NE activity, as measured by the GH-clon test, seems to be well preserved both in A and B subjects. PRL and CORT responses to D-fen were significantly blunted both in A subjects and in B subjects, in comparison with control subjects (C); the PRL response in A subjects was significantly lower than in B subjects. The DA system of B subjects was found unimpaired; in contrast, a significantly higher GH response to brom in A subjects (depressed) could express D2 post-synaptic receptor hypersensitivity and, therefore, decreased pre-synaptic DA release. In sum, the study of central monoamine function revealed an alteration only of the 5-HT system in detoxified heroin-dependent subjects without psychiatric comorbidity, which might be a trait character of these subjects, possibly involved in the pathogenesis of the disorder. A more significant impairment of 5-HT function and the hypersensitivity of post-synaptic DA receptors in A subjects suggests that specific biological correlates of psychiatric comorbidity may characterize substance abuser subtypes.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗
PubMed1999

Simple and reliable high-performance liquid chromatography fluorimetric procedure for the determination of amphetamine-derived designer drugs.

The paper describes a HPLC-fluorimetric procedure for the determination of methylenedioxyamphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine, methylenedioxyethamphetamine and N-methyl-1-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-butanamine in urine, serum, saliva and street samples, that features interesting advantages over other procedures previously described. The method requires a very small sample volume (100 microl) and no extraction, lacks matrix effect, and is not time consuming. Linearity was in the range 50-1000 ng/ml regardless of matrix. Sensitivity and detection limit were 50 ng/ml and 10 ng/ml, respectively, but they may reach 10 ng/ml and 2 ng/ml if a slight modification is introduced in the procedure. Intra- and inter-day precision were always within 5% and 8%, respectively. Recovery was satisfactory for all matrices. The described procedure could be successfully used for clinical, epidemiological and forensic applications.

Amphetamines↗
PubMed1997

Mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase isoenzyme: a biochemical marker for the clinical management of alcoholics?

Serum mitochondrial and total aspartate aminotransferase activity was quantified by a characterized immunochemical method in 126 subjects, 44 healthy controls and 82 chronic alcoholics (51 outpatients and 31 monitored through 15 days). The monitored alcoholics were divided into actual abstinents (n = 21) and drinkers (n = 10) by blood ethanol concentration performed daily. The aims of the present study were: (a) to compare the diagnostic diagnostic usefulness of the mitochondrial isoenzyme and the mitochondrial/total aspartate aminotransferase ratio to detect problematic drinkers; (b) to evaluate the suitability of these indices to monitor abstinence, a difficulty not yet solved in the clinical management of alcoholics. The results demonstrated the mitochondrial isoenzyme to be more suitable to discriminate between controls and alcoholics (Kruskal and Wallis ANOVA, Bonferroni test, P < 10(-5) and mostly between actual drinkers and other alcoholics (P < 0.041). So acute alcohol consumption may be a significant, suggestive and until now inadequately examined factor in evaluating the suitability of mAST as a marker. The results, showing that mAST peaks quickly appear in the presence of a new alcohol intake, should indicate mAST as a possible marker of acute alcohol intake useful in checking self-claimed abstinence.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1990

Cocaine misuse in selected areas: Rome.

Dramatic increases in seizures of cocaine and, perhaps, in its use, are recording in Italy and in many European Countries. This should mean that heavy health problems have to be expected in a middle time (3-4 years), as already in USA where there is spreading of clinically relevant in-patients. The most cocaine users form the unseen part of the iceberg, so it is difficult to contact with it and to verify in extent. We report data, observations and comments on the suitability of the used "Snowball" sampling technique and, mostly, on its supplementary perspectives. This research was carried out in Rome area (September-December 1987) in the frame of the first pilot multi-center study, promoted by the Commission of the European Communities, on cocaine prevalence and incidence (Munich, Rome and Rotterdam). Results about the patterns and the characters of the 83 questioned users random selected (according to "Snowball" sampling technique), 32 females and 51 males (from 25 to 51 years), are reported. Some peculiar points emerged, as the differences by sex referred to: educational level (less than 50% of the males primary/middle school, greater than 70% of the females high school/university); civil status (almost 50% of the males are single, less than 20% of the females live with partner); median length of time of use (males 8 years, females 6 years); referred cocaine amount weekly used (1-7 grams); associations with other abuse substances (50% with alcohol); drug related problems (police, work, family); tendency to start use long before (teen-agers too) and to increase it with time.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Influenza vaccination in elderly residents in nursing homes: immune response to trivalent and monovalent inactivated influenza virus vaccine in the season 1986-87.

Immune responses to trivalent inactivated whole virus and monovalent subunit influenza vaccines, used in the season 1986-87, were analyzed in elderly residents in nursing homes. Higher levels of induced antibody were found in the group receiving two doses of trivalent vaccine. This suggests that high risk aged patients should receive a booster dose of vaccine annually. The antibody response to administration of supplemental vaccination, using monovalent subunit preparation, did not reach the high level of antibodies found following trivalent influenza vaccine.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Antibody assay for measles virus: comparisons of immune-adherence haemagglutination, single radial haemolysis, enzyme immunoassay and haemagglutination inhibition.

Immune-adherence haemagglutination (IAHA); single radial haemolysis and enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) versus haemagglutination inhibition (HAI) for detecting antibodies to measles virus were evaluated. The rank correlation computed according to Spearman for the sera of healthy individuals gave values of 0.66, 0.73, 0.72, respectively, for HAI-IAHA, HAI-single radial haemolysis (SRH) and HAI-ELISA. High percentages of accordance were observed as regards sera from both healthy and vaccinated individuals. In the case of vaccinated individuals the discordance analysis showed significant differences between HAI and IAHA, HAI and SRH, SRH and ELISA. The discordances indicate higher sensitivity of HAI and ELISA for the detection of seroconversion.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1983

Comparison of haemagglutination-inhibition and single radial haemolysis techniques for detecting antibodies to influenza A and B viruses.

The sensitivities of haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) and single radial haemolysis (SRH) techniques in detecting antibodies against influenza A/Bangkok/1/79, A/Brazil/11/78, B/Singapore/222/79, B/Hong Kong/5/72 strains, in human sera were compared. For antibodies to influenza B viruses the HI tests employing ether-treated antigens were also evaluated. The SRH technique appears to be more sensitive for detecting protective titres of antibodies against influenza B strains and influenza A/Brazil/11/78.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Sensitivity and reproducibility of enzyme immunoassay for measles virus antibody detection.

The Immunoenzymatic ELISA method has been applied to the detection of antibody to measles virus by using a single serum dilution. The reproducibility has been tested over three groups of sera negative, intermediate and strongly positive, in 48 different assays. The standard deviations and the variation coefficients are reported which show very good reproducibility both within and between runs. As regard sensitivity ELISA has proved more sensitive than Haemagglutination Inhibition (HAI) by testing sera both from healthy and vaccinated individuals. Variation of the absolute O.D. values has been found by using two different lots of plates. The use of control sera with various titres is recommended, and a reference scale may be valuable for normalization of the results.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1982

The detection of serum antibody response to type-B influenza virus in vaccinated individuals by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

The sensibility of the Immunoenzymatic ELISA test for the evaluation of antibody response in individuals vaccinated with inactivated Influenza vaccine was evaluated in comparison with the results obtained by the Haemagglutination inhibition test using type B Influenza virus as antigen. The rate of seroconversion obtained with the two methods versus each class of HAI titre or each interval of OD values of the prevaccine sera showed similar features. In 23% of the cases, however, sero-conversion was observed only by the ELISA test, in 5.4% of the cases only by the HAI test. It is to be assessed whether the serological response revealed by the ELISA test is fully correlated with protection against the disease.

Adult↗