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Biomedical subjects

A Granata

Publications and source records attributed to A Granata.

86 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Acute renal failure secondary to retroperitoneal fibrosis as first manifestation of lupus nephritis].

Retroperitoneal fibrotic is a fibrous process of the retroperitoneum and can result in ureteral obstruction. Although the pathogenesis is unknown, it is suggested that an immunological mechanism plays a role. It can occur as an isolated finding or be associated with several conditions such as malignancies, infections, connective tissue disease and the action of drugs. However, a few cases of retroperitoneal fibrosis, associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have been reported. We describe a case of a 23-year-old female with lupus nephritis who presented with bilateral obstructive nephropathy due to retroperitoneal fibrosis. Treatment with steroids improved both conditions. Our case and previously reported cases of SLE and retroperitoneal fibrosis support the hypothesis that this association is not fortuitous, but reflects a common immunological mechanism.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[A closed cycle].

A young girl was admitted to the Renal Unit of our Hospital because of loin pain and mild renal failure with bilateral hydronephrosis. The abdomen ultrasound was very helpful to get the right diagnosis.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment of hirsutism related to micropolycystic ovary syndrome (MPCO) with two low-dose oestrogen oral contraceptives: a comparative randomized evaluation.

In order to evaluate the clinical and endocrinological efficacy of two low-dose oral contraceptives (OC) containing 30 micrograms Ethinylestradiol (EE) and 150 micrograms Desogestrel (DG) and 75 micrograms Gestodene (GD), respectively, an open randomized study was carried out in 34 young hirsute women, matched for body mass index and age. All of them met endocrine and ultrasonic criteria for Micropolycystic Ovary Syndrome (MPCO). The participants were randomly assigned to one of two pill groups (each of 17). The serum values for Total Testosterone (TT), Free Testosterone (FT), Androstenedione (A), Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulphate (DHEAS), 17-Hydroxyprogesterone (17Pg), Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG), Ceruloplasmin (CP), as well as Ferriman-Gallwey Index (FGI) and Free Androgen Index (FAI) were evaluated prior to and after EE-DG and EE-GD 6 cycle treatment. A significant decrease in TT, FT, A, 17Pg, DHEA, DHEAS, FGI, FAI was observed, SHRG and CP increased significantly. There were no significant differences between the two OC. Our results seem to indicate that both OC are equipotent as far as their pharmacological profile and residual androgenic activity are concerned. Therefore, these OC may represent a highly effective and suitable alternative to the treatment of hyperandrogenism related to MPCO.

17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of desogestrel and gestodene in low-dose oral contraceptive combinations on lipid and lipoprotein status. A randomized prospective study.

This study was designated to assess the effects of two low-dose oral contraceptives (OC) on serum lipids and lipoproteins and to compare, at same oestrogen dose (30 micrograms), the effects of desogestrel (DG) with those of a new progestin, gestodene (GD). Fifty-four young women, matched for Quetelet's Index, age, diet, alcohol consumption, smoking and exercise habits, were randomly assigned to one of two regimens. Serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, total triglycerides (T) and cholesterol (C), apolipoprotein A-1 (Apo A) and apolipoprotein B (Apo B) were measured prior to the OC commencement and after 6-cycle treatment. Sex hormone binding globulin (SHRG) and ceruloplasmin (CP) were determined as well. LDL-C, Apo A, C, T, increased significantly from baseline values, being still the increase within the reference range. Apo B changed proportional to the LDL-C increase. A rise in HDL-C occurred but it was statistically significant in the EE-DG group only. This result would suggest that the EE-DG combination is more estrogen-dominant that the EE-GD combination. However, this hypothesis was not consistent with the increase to the similar extent for SHBG and CP, which reflect the estrogenicity/gestagenicity of the two OCs. The disproportion of change between HDL-C and Apo A in only EE-GD group might reflect some compositional change in HDL particle. There were no significant differences between the two formulations for the parameters investigated.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Short-term treatment of hirsutism related to micropolycystic ovary syndrome with a combination type oral contraceptive containing desogestrel.

The antiandrogen effects of an oral contraceptive containing 0.03 mg. Ethinyl Oestradiol and 0.15 mg. Desogestrel have been evaluated in 17 non-obese hirsute women, with normal serum LH and FSH values and their ratio, and evidence for Micropolycystic Ovary Syndrome (MPCO) on ultrasound examination. At the completion of 5 cycles (21 days) of treatment, a statistically significant decrease in serum Total Testosterone, Free Testosterone, Androstenedione levels was observed. Similarly, serum values for Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulphate and 17-OH-Progesterone showed a marked fall. The Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) values rose about four-fold, so that the Free Androgen Index was suppressed. The clinical score, evaluated according to the method of Ferriman and Gallwey, was found sharply reduced. Therefore, the well defined improvement of biochemical and clinical parameters, along with the absence of discernible side effects, are undoubtedly confirming the effectiveness of the treatment in hyperandrogenism of women with MPCO.

17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effectiveness of short term canrenone treatment in idiopathic hirsutism.

In order to verify the anti-androgenic effects of canrenone, the major metabolite of spironolactone, 9 normally cycling women with post-puberal hirsutism, were orally administered the drug (200 mg per day for three months). In all patients, the clinical score, according to the method of Ferriman and Gallwey (F.G.I.: Ferriman-Gallwey Index), as well as endocrine function tests, including total and free testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, 17-OH-progesterone, basal and ACTH stimulated cortisol, were evaluated prior to and after canrenone treatment. A significant reduction in hair growth (F.G.I. = 18 +/- 2 vs 23 +/- 3, p less than 0.001), and also a significant decrease, with regard to endocrine parameters, of total testosterone (0.5 +/- 0.1 vs 0.9 +/- 0.3 p less than 0.01), free testosterone (2.7 +/- 0.7 vs 4.7 +/- 1.7, p less than 0.005), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (228 +/- 38 vs 314 +/- 81, p less than 0.02), and sex hormone binding globulin (62.5% of basal values, p less than 0.001), were observed. Serum levels of 17-OH-progesterone, and basal and ACTH stimulated cortisol were not significantly different from pretreatment values. It is concluded that the biochemical and clinical parameter improvement, along with a well-preserved cortisol secretion (unchanged levels of 17-OH-progesterone), suggest that canrenone may represent an effective therapy for idiopathic post-puberal hirsutism.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

"Etiological characterization of hirsutism by means of a chemometric technique: the linear discriminant analysis".

This preliminary study concerns the evaluation of a chemometric technique, the so called Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) for an adequate nosological characterization of the more common forms of hirsutism: i.e., the Micropolycystic Ovary Syndrome (MPCO) and the Idiopathic Hirsutism (I.H.). The obtained data and, particularly, the evidence of statistically significant values of the Linear Discriminant Function (mean = 12.7; p less than 0.02), clearly show the effectiveness of LDA as a practical and suitable method for a more proper detection and classification of MPCO and I.H.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hemoglobin oxidative stress in cancer.

The role played by free radicals in carcinogenesis and their relationships with antioxidant pool and cancer have already been shown. Free radicals induce increased membrane permeability through membrane lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and histamine release from mast cells. Free radicals also cause oxyhemoglobin oxidative stress which increases methemoglobin and hemichromes. For this reason, we studied the in vitro formation of methemoglobin at 0' and 90', dosed following the HPLC method, after oxidative stress of blood by means of acetylphenylhydrazine in 40 subjects with cancer and 40 healthy donors. The results showed that methemoglobin formation was highly significant in tumors as compared to controls (P < 0.0001). The statistical analyses we carried out showed that metHb formation is not affected by age, sex, smoking habit, red blood cell number, Hb, Ht or tumor staging. This makes us believe that free radicals alter erythrocyte membrane permeability and predenaturate oxyhemoglobin so that erythrocyte membrane becomes more susceptible to new oxidative stress. This caused the abnormal response we found. Our results clearly underline the role played by free radicals in tumorous disease and provide a successful and easy method to detect early, even in a pre-clinical stage, the presence of tumorous alterations in the human body.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Anti free radical action of calcium antagonists and H1 and H2 receptors antagonists in neoplastic disease.

The blood of the subjects suffering from Neoplastic Disease (ND) shows phenomena of membrane peroxidation due to the presence of Free Radicals (FRs), in a quantity much greater than the one observed in the blood of healthy subjects. This can be detected either by calculating the time necessary for the formation of "Heinz bodies" (Hbs), (p < 0.00001) after oxidative stress of the blood in vitro with acetylphenylidrazine (APH), or by calculating the methemoglobin (metHb) quantity that forms after the same treatment (P < 0.00001). The statistical analyses we carried out showed that metHb formation was not affected by age, sex, smoking habits, red blood cell number, Hb, Ht or tumor staging. In this study, by using equal parameters of investigation, we noted that the blood of the subjects with ND who were previously treated with calcium-antagonists drugs and with antagonists of H1 and H2 receptors, gave results completely superimposable on the results obtained from healthy subjects, implying that the treatment had avoided the increase of FRs. Therefore we concluded that calcium-antagonists and the antagonists of the H1 and H2 receptors behave as antioxidant substances, having decreased the FRs damaging activity on the cellular membranes, thus controlling, although to a limited degree, the pejorative evolution of the disease. It is also important to remember that investigations into the ND, even possible screenings, must take into account the above said data, submitting the subjects under investigation to a pharmacological wash out, particularly with those substances which, are considered to be scavengers of FRs. Some of these substances are investigated in this work.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Free radical erythrocyte damage in tumoral disease assessed by He-Ne laser and optical microscope through "Heinz Bodies" method.

Results obtained from blood sample readings by optical microscopy and He-Ne laser (lambda = 630.1 mW), have confirmed the reduction in Heinz Bodies (HB) formation time and the Transmittance Reduction Degree (TRD), in malignancies. The results of spectrometric readings in colorectum polyposis, (TRD = 0.07) and fibrocystic mastopathy (TRD = 0.08) gave results overlapping with controls (TRD = 0.08). In neoplasias, the early HB formation in erythrocytes observed by optical microscope corresponded to TRD increase = 0.17 (P < 0.01). TRD increase was statistically significant (P < 0.01), as well as the reduction in the time of HB appearance (< 0.01). The relationship between optical and laser readings was exponential in tumors, while it was linear in controls, in polyposis and mastopathies. The values of the correlation coefficients obtained by both methods were significant (P < 0.01) for all the studied groups. Moreover, these research data further support the existence, even in the earlier stages of the disease, of the labile state of the red cell membrane due to strong lipid peroxidation by FRs.

Erythrocytes↗