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Biomedical subjects

U Rosa

Publications and source records attributed to U Rosa.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Sarcoidosis after antiretroviral therapy in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

A 53-year-old man with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) developed clinical and radiological features compatible with sarcoidosis 14 months after starting highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The CD4 lymphocyte count had increased from 5 cells/mm(3) to 235 cells/mm(3) with HAART. Transbronchial lung biopsy showed nonnecrotizing granulomas. All studies for an infectious etiology were negative. His condition improved after treatment with corticosteroids. To our knowledge, this is the fifth case report of sarcoidosis occurring after initiation of antiretroviral therapy for AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Survival benefits of pulmonary cellular activation in AIDS patients with Pneumocystis infection.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is the most common life-threatening, opportunistic infection in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Between 1984 and 1987, patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) received bronchoalveolar lavages to confirm PCP diagnosis. Unstained slides containing bronchoalveolar cells from 20 of these patients were stored. Eight years after the last diagnostic bronchoalveolar lavage, blinded investigators immunohistochemically analyzed the unstained bronchoalveolar cells for the presence of proliferating cells and pneumocystic cysts. A significant association was found between the percentage of activated macrophages and patient survival after diagnostic bronchoalveolar lavage. On chart review, patients with higher CD4/CD8 ratios had significantly greater alveolar macrophage activation. The correlation of life span and pulmonary cellular activation in these cases (most predating retroviral therapy) suggests the importance of pulmonary cellular function to immunity and survival in patients infected with HIV.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

The scimitar syndrome.

The clinical spectrum of the scimitar syndrome ranges from severely ill infants to asymptomatic adults. The true incidence of the disorder is unknown because the syndrome may remain undetected in asymptomatic patients until a chest roentgenogram is obtained. We have presented the contrasting clinical experiences of two adult women, one with few symptoms and a benign course, and the other with exacerbation of her asthma from recurrent upper respiratory tract infections originating in the lower lobe of her right lung. Improvement resulted from surgical resection of this congenitally abnormal, bronchiectatic segment of lung.

Adult↗

Acute upper airway obstruction in rheumatoid arthritis of the cricoarytenoid joints.

We have reported two cases of acute, life-threatening upper airway obstruction due to previously unrecognized rheumatoid arthritis of the cricoarytenoid joints with severe acute and chronic deformities of the larynx. Attempted endotracheal intubation with the rigid laryngoscope failed in each case, resulting in the need for emergency tracheostomy. We recommend the use of the fiberoptic bronchoscope for elective or emergency endotracheal intubations in patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis involving the cervical spine and the larynx.

Acute Disease↗

Factors affecting the properties of insolubilized anitbodies.

IgG separated from an antiserum to estradiol was coupled under various experimental conditions to Sepharose activated either with CNBr or by conversion into a long-armed derivative (the N-hydroxysuccinimide ester). The conjugates were characterized by measurement of the binding parameters, in order to evaluate separately the loss of sites and the loss of affinity. The cross-reactivity with estriol and estrone was measured to obtain information on the occurrence of structural alterations of the antibody site. The results show that the loss of immunoreactivity varies in extent (from 95% to less than 10%) and in nature (loss of sites or of affinity or a combination of both effects) depending on the coupling conditions. The use of a hydrocarbon extension to keep the protein distant from the matrix does not prevent the loss of active sites but is effective in safeguarding the affinity of the residual sites. The loss of sites can be substantially reduced by coupling at a pH value around neutrality and by keeping the protein/matrix mass ratio low. At a coupling pH of 6.4 and at a mass ratio of 0.1-0.2 nmol IgG/mg of Sepharose, the antibodies were insolubilized with a negligible loss of sites and affinity; on increasing the mass ratio (up to 10 nmol IgG/mg Sepharose) there is a progressive loss of sites accompanied by a substantial lowering of the affinity of the residual sites. On the basis of the above-mentioned findings, the nature of the effects occurring when antibodies are transferred from solution onto a solid matrix is discussed.

Binding Sites↗

[Preparation, characterization and control of antiserums].

The development of radio immunoassay and its application to the estimation of new substances (e.g. drugs, enzymes, viral antigens, etc.) will shed further light on the various problems which we have discussed in this introductory report. For each group of substances there will no doubt be special difficulties. If these technics have become very popular, this seems to be for two main reasons: the potential selection of individual immune response, and better understanding of the role of the parameters which control the various stages of radio-immunoassay. I am sure that the reports programmed here will provide an important contribution to advances in our knowledge in this promising field.

Antibody Specificity↗

Preparation and immunoreactive properties of monoiodinated angiotensin labelled at high specific activity.

Monoiodinated angiotensin II at a specific activity in the order of 1 C/mg can be prepared with high yields by controlling the pH of iodination and can be purified on G-25 Sephadex. The fractions from the head to the centre of the single peak of radioactivity obtained by gel filtration of the iodination mixture contain pure monoiodinated angiotensin. The monoiodinated derivative shows an immunoreactivity very close to that of the native hormone; in contrast, the diiodinated derivative has a low immunoreactivity and its use as a tracer results in a loss of sensitivity in the radioimmunoassay of angiotensin II. It is suggested that the use of the monoiodinated derivative in pure form should be recommended whenever a small hormonal polypeptide labelled at high specific activity is to be prepared for radioimmunoassay purposes.

Angiotensin II↗