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Biomedical subjects

A Castagna

Publications and source records attributed to A Castagna.

72 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Prognostic value of the nervous system involvement in HIV patients.

About 30-40% of AIDS patients present CNS and/or PNS involvement, due to direct action of HIV virus or opportunistic infections. Nervous system involvement in the HIV correlated syndromes is not a rare occurrence; nevertheless no studies about prognosis of AIDS related syndromes have been published yet. We tested 38 HIV positive patients for the assessment of neurological complications by means of clinical and instrumental evaluations: multimodal evoked potentials, EMG/ENG studies, nerve and muscle biopsy. At the baseline evaluation, 26/38 patients had neurological complications: 14 of CNS, 9 of PNS, 3 of both CNS and PNS. At follow-up, 16/37 patients had developed AIDS and 10/16 patients with AIDS died. Of these 16 patients, 14 had clinical and neurophysiological alterations at the baseline evaluation. Our results suggest that the presence of clinical and/or neurophysiological nervous system involvement in patients with HIV-related syndromes constitutes a negative prognostic factor for developing AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1989

Clinical and immunological aspects of HIV infection in drug addicts.

Intravenous drug users (IVDUs) account for more than 64% of the total AIDS cases in Italy. The IVDUs' seropositivity rate is greater than 70% in Milan and greater than 50% in the main cities of Italy. The first evidence of seropositivity in this population dates back to 1979. In a cohort study performed in Milan the rate of progression to overt AIDS among IVDUs was 6% in 3 years (1984-1987). At presentation, more than 75% of the subjects had CD4+ cell counts higher than 400/mm3 (mean 631, median 528, mode 465). These values are significantly higher than those observed in the same population in New York, the only American city with HIV-infection spread comparable to that observed in Milan. The probability of having CD4+ cell counts lower than 400, 300, and 200/mm3 in relation to the length of follow-up was, respectively, 50, 40, and 2% after 36 months from presentation. At the same end point, subjects presenting less than 400 CD4+ cells at entry had 30% probability of falling under 200 cell/mm3. The pattern of CD4+ cells, as much as the low percentage of yearly progression to overt AIDS, is probably related to the recent, even if rapid, spread of infection among IVDUs in Italy. The clinical features of overt AIDS present some differences between IVDUs and other at-risk groups. Among U.S. IVDUs with AIDS, Kaposi's sarcoma is infrequent (2.9% vs 27.7% in homosexual men) while mycotic infections such as deep candidiasis and cryptococcosis are significantly more frequent. The same pattern has been observed in our case file in Milan: esophageal candidiasis represents the most frequent cause of diagnosis of overt AIDS. Mycotic infections, overall, are more frequent than in U.S. IVDUs. The increased rate of mycotic infections among IVDUs might be justified by altered functions of nonspecific immunity, such as PMNL killing and phagocytosis of Candida albicans spores, impaired in HIV-infected IVDUs, but generally normal in infected subjects belonging to the other at-risk groups.

CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed1988

Oligoclonal IgG bands in cerebrospinal fluid and serum during asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from asymptomatic patients seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) showed frequent evidence of intrathecal IgG synthesis and oligoclonal IgG bands, with different isoelectric focusing patterns in serum and CSF; 2 of 7 had a CSF pleocytosis. The results suggest frequent, early, chronic central nervous system infection following HIV infection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1988

T-lymphocyte subsets and delayed type hypersensitivity as classification parameters for HIV infection among drug-addicts.

HIV selectively infects T helper lymphocytes, which play an essential role in cell-mediated immunity mechanisms. Impairment of these mechanisms can be evaluated, other than by clinical parameters, by testing lymphocytic subsets and cutaneous delayed type hypersensitivity. All these indices are used in the Walter Reed Foundation (WR) staging system, which includes the different stages of HIV infection. In our study we investigated the above mentioned parameters in a series of 180 HIV positive PDAs. A classification of the same patients according to WR's criteria was also designed. Of our patients, 46.1% resulted normoergic, 27.2% hypoergic and 26.7% anergic. Of all normoergic subjects, 83.7% (with more than 400 OKT4+ cells/mmc) could be assigned to the WR2 and 16.3% (with less than 400 OKT4+ cells/mmc) to the WR3 staging group. Among the hypoergic patients, only 34.7% were assignable to the WR4 group, whereas the majority (65.3%) had more than 400 OKT4+ cell/mmc. Even among the anergic group, 62.5% did not fit the WR5 stage, exhibiting an OKT4+ level higher than 400/mmc. In the latter 2 groups (referred to as D and E), T helper lymphocyte counts were performed at regular intervals; however, only the ones followed-up for at least 6 months were evaluated. OKT4+ cells were shown to decrease more frequently and more rapidly in the anergic than in the hypoergic patients, which points to cutaneous anergy as representing an early sign of impairment of cell-mediated immunity.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1986

Clinical and epidemiological aspects of the first 50 cases of AIDS in Milan.

Between April 1984 and December 1985, 50 patients diagnosed as AIDS were observed in our Clinic. Risk factors were homosexuality in 21 cases (42%), drug addiction in 20 (40%), homosexuality and drug addiction in 3 (6%), haemophilia in 1 (2%). In the remaining 5 cases the infection was acquired by vertical transmission in 2 (4%), by promiscuous heterosexual intercourse in 2 (4%) and by a single blood transfusion in 1 (2%). Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) was the main clinical feature in 8 patients, although associated with opportunistic infections (OI) in 7 of them. A total of 91 different OI were diagnosed with a noteworthy prevalence of mycotic infections compared with OI due to other micro-organisms: 40 deep mycoses by Candida albicans, and 5 cryptococcoses. Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) was diagnosed in 20 patients. Our data differ from the ones collected in the USA both epidemiologically, since we observed a greater incidence of AIDS in drug-addicts than in homosexuals and clinically, since in Italy a lower rate of neoplastic disease and, conversely, a higher rate of OI other than PCP are reported.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1981

[Application of the biotic index and the diversity index to the study of macro-benthons in a river].

Using the Biotic Index and the Diversity Index the results are analysed of a study of the macrobenthic community sampled in the course of one year at three stations along he lowest-lying stretch of the River Simeto. The results obtained from applying the two different indices are not in perfect agreement one with the other. Whereas with the Biotic Index one could be led to consider the fluvial environment situation a good one, the Diversity Index shows the environment to be partially compromised by organic substances. On the basis of results of chemico-physico-microbiological analyses as well as data concerning the nutritive habits of the species found, we conclude that the Diversity Index is a more suitable instrument for measuring the biological reality of the Simeto.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

[Heavy metal concentrations in various species fished from the Gulf of Catania].

The AA report the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and Hg found in fish, crustaceans and mollusca fished in a zone of the coast to the south of the city of Catania. The results obtained show that among the fish the species with the highest concentrations of all the metals investigated, but excluding mercury, is Boops boops (bogue) followed by Trachurus mediterraneus (horse mackerel), whereas the species showing least concentrations is Pagellus erythrinus (pandora). In many cases the concentrations of individual metals in our findings are higher than those given in the literature for the same species fished in other waters.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Viral antibodies in serum and cryoprecipitate of patients with essential mixed and secondary cryoglobulinemia. Preliminary results.

Antibodies to measles virus, CMV, HSV1, HSV2 and EBV have been tested in 9 patients with essential mixed cryoglobulinemia (EMC) and 24 patients with cryoglobulinemia associated with lymphoproliferative, autoimmune or hepatic diseases (secondary cryoglobulinemia, SC). The assays were performed in serum, cryoprecipitate and supernatant by using immunoenzymatic methods. The highest prevalence was observed in the supernatant of both EMC and SC patients. Antibodies to measles virus show a serum/cryoprecipitate ratio higher than that of the other viral agents. Statistically significant differences between EMC and SC patients in the positivity of the various viral antibodies were not shown.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparative and experimental study on different tendinous grasping techniques in rotator cuff repair: a new reinforced stitch.

Arthroscopic repair of wide rotator cuff ruptures is burdened by a percentage of recurrences that is greater than the repair carried out when an open technique is used. One of the main reasons for this difference can be searched for in the minor hold of stitching on the tendinous aspect obtained with arthroscopic repair. In fact, when an open technique is used, good hold can be guaranteed by using reinforced stitches such as the modified Mason-Allen. Thus, arthroscopic repair technique on the tendinous aspect, particularly in wide and massive injuries, must be improved. It was the purpose of this study to compare a new reinforced stitch that can easily be obtained in arthroscopy (simple stitch that orthogonally crosses a horizontal stitch previously knotted on the tendon: SS-HL), with traditional stitches (simple stitch, mattress-stitch and modified Mason-Allen stitch). Tests were carried out on sheep infraspinatus tendons in order to evaluate the resistance of pull-out. The SS-HL stitch showed resistance to loading that was similar to that when the modified Mason-Allen was used, but it was greater than that shown by the simple stitch (+48%) and the mattress stitch (+35%).

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Reverse HAGL: a possible complication of a tight anterior gleno-humeral stabilization.

Recently the posterior humeral avulsion of the glenohumeral capsule (Reverse HAGL or RHAGL) has been reported in the orthopaedic literature as another possible cause of posterior traumatic shoulder instability. In the present paper we describe three patients in whom a RHAGL was probably a consequence of a tight open anterior shoulder stabilisation. The main complaint of these patients was a stiff shoulder after an open anterior stabilisation. A progressive and worsening discomfort was reported by patients in spite of an accurate rehabilitation program. At persistence of symptoms arthroscopy was performed with evidence of RHAGL that was repaired in association with an anterior release. Clinical and functional improvement was observed but the final outcome seems to be related to range of motion recovery and not only to the posterior repair.

Adult↗