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At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Absence of correlation between BMP-4 polymorphism and postmenopausal osteoporosis in Italian women.

Several studies have demonstrated that bone has the power of regeneration and repair. BMPs (bone morphogenetic proteins) are involved in the determination of osteoblast phenotype and bone turnover, therefore genes coding for these proteins, like BMP-4, could be considered potential candidate genes for osteoporosis. We investigated the association of BMP-4 gene polymorphism with osteoporosis in a cohort of 72 osteoporotic, postmenopausal women and 82 unrelated controls. We failed to detect any significant association between this genetic marker and the disease.

Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4↗
PubMed1998

X-ray diffraction on cyclically loaded osteons.

The results of a study on the fine structural distortion due to the two previously observed types of degradation in cyclically loaded single osteons (i.e., stiffness degradation and pinching effect) are presented. Fully calcified longitudinal and alternate osteons were isolated from 350-microns-thick longitudinal sections of human femoral cortical bone. The samples were prepared from 500-microns-long central cylindrical portions of an osteon, whose two ends were penetrating into rectangular lugs for fixation to an electromechanical device that cyclically loaded the samples. This device was connected to a microwave micrometer and a recorder. The structural distortions induced by cyclic loading were investigated by high- and low-angle X-ray diffraction on conventional and synchrotron radiation sources. Cyclic loading results in a reduction in the degree of orientation of apatite crystallites, especially in longitudinal osteons, in which the most abundant longitudinal lamellae are not protected against buckling by transverse lamellae as they are in alternate osteons. In contrast, the degree of orientation of collagen fibrils does not seem to be affected by cycling loading in the two osteon types, possibly because the disorientation of collagen fibrils is, within limits, a reversible process. Finally, the contrast between the disorientation of inorganic crystallites and the apparently unaltered distribution of collagen fibrils suggests that the degradation of cyclically loaded osteons may be due to a separation of the crystallites from the fibrils.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Bacteroides fragilis group: trends in resistance.

Representing the major part of the human colon microflora, members of the Bacteroides fragilis group are frequently involved in mixed aerobic and anaerobic infections. Recent studies show an increased resistance of the B. fragilis group against several antimicrobial agents. The aim of the present study was to determine the susceptibility of 87 B. fragilis group strains isolated in 2003/2004 in Western Austria against eight antimicrobial agents by Etest. Furthermore, the resistance patterns were compared with those of 45 B. fragilis group strains isolated in 1992 and referred to the world wide trend towards increased resistance. In 1992 as well as in 2003/2004, all strains were susceptible against metronidazole and imipenem. However, comparing the MIC-values of the B. fragilis group strains collected 1992 with data from 2003/2004, a significant increase in resistance was found for clindamycin (p<0.01). Regarding cefoxitin, a similar trend could be observed. However, this difference was not yet significant (p=0.144). Our findings underline the emerging resistance of the B. fragilis group against antimicrobial agents and underscore the importance of susceptibility testing of anaerobes even in routine laboratories.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1996

Clinical and hormonal effects of ethinylestradiol combined with gestodene and desogestrel in young women with acne vulgaris.

The effect of gestodene 75 micrograms (GTD) versus desogestrel 150 micrograms (DSG) combined with 30 micrograms of ethinylestradiol (EE) on acne lesions and plasma androstenedione (A), total testosterone (T), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and "free androgen index" (FAI) was evaluated in an open study on 19 patients aged 18-35 years affected with postpubertal or persistent non-severe acne vulgaris. The patients were randomly allocated into two groups receiving EE-GTD (n = 8) and EE-DSG (n = 11), 21 tablets per cycle for 9 consecutive cycles. Clinical and hormonal evaluations were made between days 17-21 in the cycle before treatment and between days 17-21 of the cycle 3, 6 and 9 of treatment. During treatment, acne improved in most patients, reaching at cycle 9 a low score (absent or minimal) in 62% of the cases in the GTD group (mean acne score = 1.25) and in 90% of the cases in the DSG group (mean acne score = 0.90). Before treatment, about 75% of the patients showed one or more signs of biochemical hyperandrogenism, including elevated FAI (57%), elevated A (15%), elevated total T (15%) and decreased SHBG (21%), and there was evidence of inverse correlation between SHBG and acne scores (p < 0.05). The echogenic texture of the ovaries was multifollicular in 55% of the cases. By the end of the third cycle of treatment, the hormonal changes observed in both groups included significant decreases, with normalization of individual elevated levels of T, and a 3-fold rise of the initial values of plasma SHBG, which showed a further gradual increase at cycle 9 of EE-DSG administration. At cycle 9, normalization of the echogenic ovarian texture was observed. Acne improvement under treatments with estrogen and progestin (EP) could be significantly correlated with the normalization of biochemical hyperandrogenism. In conclusion, the biochemical and clinical efficacy of EE-GTD and EE-DSG indicate that both these preparations can be a good choice in the therapy of acne vulgaris, with a non-significant better clinical result with EE-DSG.

Acne Vulgaris↗
PubMed1985

Mechanical hysteresis loops from single osteons: technical devices and preliminary results.

The purpose of this paper is to describe an original apparatus for recording hysteresis loops from single osteons and a special microgrinding lathe for preparing osteonic samples for testing. The results obtained by testing isolated osteons, and composite bone samples ground to the same size as an osteon sample justify one to draw the following main conclusions: at an equal degree of calcification, longitudinal osteons show larger hysteresis loops under compression and alternate osteons show larger hysteresis loops under tension; there seems to be little chance of acquiring detailed information on the mechanical effects of osteon calcification recording hysteresis loops; collagen orientation in lamellae is the main factor determining the kind of hysteresis loops displayed by a composite bone sample.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Converse piezoelectric effect detected in fresh cow femur bone.

A piezoelectric effect has been reported to exist in biological tissues, in particular in dry bone. Since the precision and resolution now obtainable are much greater, we decided to verify the presence of the converse effect (dimensional change under the application of an electric field) in fresh bone samples, by using a very high sensitivity instrument. We took, in varying orientations, five fresh femur cylindrical bone specimens from a cow leg and placed them as a single piece, or as a stack of 10 thin interlayered slices from one specimen to improve sensitivity, in a special microwave double cavity differential dilatometer. The thickness of the specimen was approximately 10mm. The applied field strength for the nonstacked specimen was near 10 kV m-1. Thickness variation was measured along and across the electric field lines. We applied the electric field as a switched polarity square wave. This allows the thermal dilution of specimen warming and possible electrostriction effects, which are insensitive to the direction of the applied field, to be separated from an electromechanical effect which is sensitive to direction. Using coherent signal averaging over approximately 600 cycles to combat instrumental noise we observed nonthermal, nonelectrostrictional thickness variations in all samples. The amplitudes we observed were near 3 pm for the 1 cm nonstacked specimen, and the bone's responses to electric fields ranged from 26 to 38 fm V-1. With response magnitudes approximating those predicted theoretically for the converse piezoelectric effect in bone we conclude that the piezoelectric theory could not be falsified with our experiments.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Four cases of pregnancy with low estrogen production due to placental enzymatic deficiency.

4 cases of normal pregnancies associated with low estriol excretion and resulting in healthy infants are described, in which by in vitro studies on the placentas a steroid 3-sulfatase deficiency was found in 3 cases and a lack of activity of the aromatizing system was found in the 4th case. A reduced activity of the aromatizing system was also shown in one of the cases affected by steroid 3-sulfatase defect. The placental 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, delta 4,5-isomerase system was measured in 3 cases and results were normal. The repetition of the specific lack of steroid 3-sulfatase was observed in 2 successive pregnancies of the same patient (case T.C.). It is interesting to note that, at variance with other reports, this patient delivered 2 fetuses, both female.

3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases↗
PubMed1991

Chronic myelogenous leukemia in the course of chronic lymphocytic leukemia: evidence for an independent clonal origin.

We report on a 69-year-old man who developed Ph-positive CML 6 years after the onset of B-cell CLL. When CML was diagnosed, both malignant cell populations were detected in bone marrow and peripheral blood. Peripheral leukocytes were fractionated by Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient, and cytogenetic and molecular studies were performed on mononuclear cell and granulocyte-enriched populations. Mononuclear cells were stimulated with either PHA or PWM. In PHA-treated cultures 76% of the metaphases were Ph-negative, while after PWM stimulation 87% were Ph-positive. A bcr rearrangement was observed in DNA from the granulocyte-enriched fraction, but not in mononuclear cells. On the contrary the IgH locus resulted in monoclonally rearranged DNA, only in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. These results indicate that the two neoplastic populations originated independently.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Long-term cytogenetic effects of antineoplastic treatment in relation to secondary leukemia.

Chromosome translocations are consistently present in leukemias and lymphomas and are likely to represent primary events in the development of these neoplasias. A study of conditions that predispose to leukemia could shed some light on the origin of these translocations and therefore help in clarifying their exact role in the process of neoplastic transformation. Based on this assumption, we studied a group of individuals treated with radiochemotherapy for previous lymphoma and who were at increased risk of developing a secondary leukemia. The group comprised 14 Hodgkin's disease patients, 11 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients, and 13 controls. The patients were in remission and had been off therapy for at least 6 months. Chromosomes were studied from phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated peripheral lymphocytes and from bone marrow cells by the direct method and after short-term cultures (72 hours). The latter were also exposed to 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Metaphases were scored for chromosome breaks, gaps, and other rearrangements. The percentage of gaps and breaks was significantly higher in patients than in controls. The difference was induced by BrdU and was apparent in bone marrow cells, but not in peripheral lymphocytes. We conclude that individuals exposed to the action of mutagenic agents (radiochemotherapy) have an increased chromosome instability that could be related to their increased risk of developing a secondary leukemia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Human eosinophils and parasitic diseases--III. Beta-interferon increases eosinophil IgG-Fc receptor expression and capacity.

Eosinophilic granulocytes from the blood of patients with parasitic diseases were preincubated in the presence or absence of beta-interferon (beta-IFN). The number of cells bearing IgG-Fc receptors was determined by rosette formation with chicken erythrocytes coated with IgG antibodies. beta-IFN augmented the expression of IgG-Fc receptors on the cells within 1 h incubation. Treatment of beta-IFN with heat or acid did not abolish the activity. The doses of beta-IFN needed to induce the modulations of IgG-Fc receptors could also augment the eosinophil-mediated antibody-dependent cytotoxicity (ADCC) against chicken red blood cells which resulted most pronounced when the IgG antibodies were present in suboptimal amount. These data suggest the role of beta-IFN in the host resistance to parasitic diseases, mainly in the initial phases of parasitic infestation when the specific IgG antibody levels are very low.

Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity↗
PubMed1994

Computer-assisted cervical cancer screening using neural networks.

A practical and effective system for the computer-assisted screening of conventionally prepared cervical smears is presented and described. Recent developments in neural network technology have made computerized analysis of the complex cellular scenes found on Pap smears possible. The PAPNET Cytological Screening System uses neural networks to automatically analyze conventional smears by locating and recognizing potentially abnormal cells. It then displays images of these objects for review and final diagnosis by qualified cytologists. The results of the studies presented indicate that the PAPNET system could be a useful tool for both the screening and rescreening of cervical smears. In addition, the system has been shown to be sensitive to some types of abnormalities which have gone undetected during manual screening.

Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted↗
PubMed1982

Plasma androstenedione and oestrone levels before and after the menopause. I. Glandular hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma of the endometrium.

Plasma androstenedione (A) levels and plasma oestrone (E1) levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in a total of 135 healthy women (the control group), around the menopause. Both A and E1 plasma levels were found to drop significantly in the post-menopausal women (P less than 0.001). The mean plasma levels of A and E1 found in these healthy women were compared with the same plasma levels found in a total of 96 hospitalized women who were found to have various gynaecological disorders. Out of the total 96 patients, 29 were post-menopausal and had adenocarcinoma of the endometrium. The mean plasma levels of A and E1 were not significantly different in comparison with the norm. The mean body weight of the tumour patients was slightly higher than the mean body weight of the healthy women. There were 25 other patients, around the menopause, who had glandular hyperplasia of the endometrium. The mean plasma levels of androstenedione found in these women were significantly higher than the mean levels found in the healthy group of women; both groups were similar in body weight. The oestrone levels found in these patients were within the normal range. The remaining 42 patients, around the menopause, were affected with dysfunctional uterine bleeding, without endometrial hyperplasia. The plasma androstenedione levels were within the normal range. Oestrone plasma levels were not measured in this group of women. This study investigates the possible differences found in the endocrine plasma levels of women with glandular hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma of the endometrium.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1982

Plasma androstenedione and oestrone levels before and after the menopause. II. Non-endocrine ovarian tumours and cysts.

Plasma androstenedione (A) and oestrone (E1) levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in 45 hospitalized patients who had non-endocrine benign or malignant ovarian tumours or cysts. The findings of these measurements were compared with the findings of the mean steroid levels which we determined previously (see previous article) in 135 healthy women, around the menopause, of similar weight. Of the total number of patients, 26 had non-endocrine benign ovarian tumours and cysts and were in the reproductive and pre-menopausal ages. The mean plasma A level was found to be significantly higher than the normal value (P less than 0.001). However, the plasma E1 level was not different from the norm. The remaining 19 patients, all around the menopause, had non-endocrine malignant epithelial ovarian tumours. The mean plasma levels of both A and E1 were found to be significantly higher (P less than 0.001) than the normal values. Since increased plasma A levels are associated with non-endocrine ovarian tumours and cysts, it seems likely that the measurement of plasma A may be used as an endocrine detector of non-endocrine ovarian tumours.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1984

Plasma androstenedione and oestrone levels in the climacteric syndrome.

Plasma androstenedione (A) and oestrone (E1) levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in a group of 78 healthy women who had undergone a natural menopause. Of this total, 23 were symptomless (Group 1), 39 presented with a moderate climacteric syndrome (Group 2) and 16 had a severe climacteric syndrome (Group 3). The average body weight was found to be significantly higher in Groups 2 (P less than 0.01) and 3 (P less than 0.05), than in Group 1, but the age distribution and number of years since the menopause were similar in all three groups. Nevertheless, significantly lower levels of A (0.75 +/- 0.06 ng/ml, P less than 0.01, in Group 2; 0.24 +/- 0.05 ng/ml, P less than 0.001, in Group 3) and E1 (20.80 +/- 2.18 pg/ml, P less than 0.05, in Group 2; 12.22 +/- 1.65 pg/ml, P less than 0.001, in Group 3) were observed in the women with climacteric symptoms than in those with no symptoms (A = 1.08 +/- 0.08 ng/ml, E1 = 27.73 +/- 2.22 pg/ml in Group 1). Since, after the menopause, the concentrations of A and E1 in the plasma represent the most important source of oestrogens, these results suggest that climacteric symptoms are related to oestrogen deficiency which is secondary to low A production.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Gonadotrophin response to releasing hormone in post-menopausal patients with ovarian tumours.

Gonadotrophin response to intravenous administration of 100 micrograms synthetic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) was evaluated in 14 post-menopausal women (aged 53-77) with non-endocrine ovarian tumours and 11 post-menopausal control subjects. Neither in the case of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) or luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, was any significant difference seen between the mean basal levels in the tumour and the control subjects. No significant release was seen in either group as regards FSH response. The mean increases in serum FSH in the tumour patients were not significantly different from those in the control subjects. In the case of LH response, the mean percentage increases in the tumour group as well as the mean area under the curves were significantly greater (P less than 0.01) than those in the control subjects. Androstenedione and oestrone levels were also evaluated in the two groups. Significantly increased levels of these hormones were seen in the tumour group in relation to those in the control group (P less than 0.001). These data are consistent with an increased LH response to GnRH in post-menopausal patients with ovarian tumours. The augmented LH release may be related to increased steroid plasma levels.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Anti-gene peptide nucleic acid targeted to proviral HIV-1 DNA inhibits in vitro HIV-1 replication.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is unlikely to affect reservoirs of HIV in latently infected cells. Anti-gene compounds, such as peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), which block transcriptional activity via sequence-specific invasion of double-stranded DNA may be an effective strategy to target cells harbouring proviral HIV DNA. Here we show that a PNA oligomer (PNA(HIV)), 15 bases in length, linked to a nuclear localization signal (NLS), substantially suppressed HIV-1 replication in chronically infected lymphocytes and macrophages and efficiently prevented mitogen-induced HIV-1 reactivation in lymphocytes, as determined by HIV-p24 antigen production in supernatants and FACS analysis for intracellular HIV accumulation. In contrast, a mismatched PNA did not show any effect on HIV expression. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and quantitative real-time RT-PCR demonstrated a decrease of HIV RNA expression in infected cells treated by PNA(HIV) indicating that inhibition of HIV-1 replication occurred at the transcription step. In conclusion, the use of anti-gene PNA to target the HIV-1 proviral DNA in the quest for new antiretroviral agents appears quite promising.

Cells, Cultured↗