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Biomedical subjects

A Mancini

Publications and source records attributed to A Mancini.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Localized Ewing's sarcoma of bone: ten years' experience at the Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli in 124 cases treated with multimodal therapy.

The results obtained in the treatment by multimodal therapy (surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy) of 124 cases of Ewing's sarcoma are presented. At a medium follow-up of 65 months 48% of the patients are disease-free. One patient died of leukemia and two patients developed an irradiation-induced sarcoma. Analysing the data, three factors seem to be correlated to prognosis: location of the initial lesion outside the pelvis and sacrum, a four-drug chemotherapy protocol and the use of surgery in the treatment of the initial lesion seem to give better results.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Prolactin dynamics in patients with non-secretin tumours of the hypothalamic-pituitary region.

Twenty-four patients with non-secreting tumours of the hypothalamic-pituitary region, diagnosed by radiographic procedures and confirmed at surgery, were examined before and after the surgical treatment to establish a correlation between Prl responsiveness to dynamic tests and the location of pathological tissue. Three groups of patients were identified. In 10 patients with an intrasellar tumour (group I), Prl had a positive response to TRH, metoclopramide (MCP), and nomifensine (NOM), both pre- and postoperatively. In 4 patients with tumours located entirely in the hypothalamus (group II), Prl responded to TRH, but remained unresponsive to MCP and NOM. Only a partial normalization of the Prl responses was obtained after surgery. Finally, 10 patients had an intra- and extrasellar tumour (group III). In 8 of them Prl responded to TRH, but the increment was lesser than that observed in hypothalmic tumours. Prl did not respond to MCP and NOM. After surgery, Prl responsiveness reappeared in some patients (6 after TRH, 4 after MCP, 3 after NOM). In 2 patients with extensive pituitary damage, Prl did not respond to all dynamic tests pre- or postoperatively. In conclusion, Prl dynamic tests are a reliable tool for studying the altered control of Prl secretion in these patients, since plasma Prl stems from only normal lactotropes surrounding the tumoural tissue. The location of the tumour has a key role in influencing the pattern of Prl response to direct and indirect dynamic tests.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1985

Gastric carcinoids of ECL cells. Pathological and clinical analysis of eight cases.

Clinical, histological, histochemical and ultrastructural characteristics of eight cases of carcinoid tumors of the non-antral portion of the stomach are presented. Four cases with multiple polypoid lesions are accompanied by an increased level of gastrin. A normal level of gastrin was present in the other four cases with isolated tumor and a normal component of endocrine cells in the uninvolved mucosa. In the first group with multiple lesions, the histological and histochemical analysis of the endocrine cells revealed a wide range of appearances: a) "simple hyperplasia", b) "nodular hyperplasia", and c) carcinoid tumor. These aspects suggested a different pathogenesis for the carcinoid tumors of the non-antral portion of the stomach with possible therapeutical implications.

Achlorhydria↗
PubMed1984

Sarcoidosis of the peripheral nerve: clinical, electrophysiological and histological study of two cases.

Two cases of sarcoid polyneuropathy were diagnosed by histological examination of the nerve biopsy. The electrophysiological findings in both patients suggested a neuropathy of axonal type, confirmed by a morphological study of a sural nerve biopsy by light microscopy and on teased-fiber preparations. The sarcoid granulomas were multiple, especially in case 2; they were sparse in the epineurial and perineurial spaces and absent in the endoneurium, whose interstitial component contained cellular infiltrations of scattered macrophages. Blood vessel changes were a constant morphological feature. The mechanisms that possibly contribute to the pathogenesis of the sarcoid neuropathy are discussed in relation to previous reports.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Relationships between intracranial pressure and diurnal prolactin secretion in primary empty sella.

The role of the intracranial pressure (ICP) in the development and/or maintenance of the primary empty sella has been evaluated by recording the ICP during sleeping and waking periods in 11 women who had this syndrome. Concomitantly, plasma PRL levels, measured at 2-hour intervals during a 24-hour period, were compared with the changes in ICP. Daily PRL variations were also measured in 5 normally cycling and 5 postmenopausal women. ICP was abnormally increased in 8 patients with PES. In 3 of them, increased values were recorded during waking and sleeping periods, while in 5 subjects abnormal values were observed only during sleep. In the remaining 3 patients the ICP was normal in all conditions tested. 8 patients with elevated ICP presented an absent or blunted nocturnal PRL increase. In 3 patients with normal ICP, the circadian periodicity of PRL was preserved. The normalization of ICP obtained in 4 patients by a surgical shunting procedure was accompanied by the return to normal of the circadian PRL periodicity. Our observations demonstrate that the finding of a normal ICP during wakefulness is not sufficient to rule out an actual increase in ICP, since a rise in the CRF pressure can occur during sleep. Our data also demonstrated a correlation between an abnormal rise in ICP and an absent or blunted nocturnal increment in PRL secretion.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Postoperative evaluation of dopaminergic tone in prolactinoma patients. II. Plasma thyrotropin response to metoclopramide.

In 24 patients who had a PRL-secreting pituitary adenoma, diagnosed by pituitary dynamic function tests and CT scan, and confirmed at surgery, the TSH response to a dopamine (DA)-antagonist drug, metoclopramide (MCP), was studied pre- and postoperatively to elucidate whether altered DA tone was present and related to hyperprolactinemia. Preoperatively, a TSH response to MCP occurred in 18 patients. Plasma TSH levels did not increase after MCP in 5 patients who had a macroprolactinoma and in 1 patient with a microprolactinoma located just beneath the diaphragm of the sella turcica. Postoperatively, in all patients who had a prolonged clinical remission and normalization of PRL dynamic tests TSH did not respond to MCP (9 of 24 patients). In 4 patients who had normal or borderline PRL levels in the immediate postoperative period, the TSH response to MCP disappeared, but became evident later together with progressive elevation of PRL levels. TSH increases after MCP occurred in all patients who had abnormal PRL levels after surgery, except in 2 patients with a macroprolactinoma infiltrating the neighboring structures. In conclusion, these results confirm the existence of increased DA tone in patients with a prolactinoma. However, the presence of an increased TSH response to DA antagonist drugs could be masked in patients who had large tumors or tumors located just beneath the sellar diaphragm. The TSH test after MCP administration can readily detect increased DA tone in the postoperative period even when PRL levels remain slightly elevated or borderline.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1983

Replacement of femoral head endoprosthesis with total hip prosthesis. A report of five cases with problems of management.

Five cases who had endoprosthesis implanted for medial fracture of the neck of the femur are reported. All of them developed late complications that required replacements of endoprosthesis with total hip prosthesis. Complications included wearing of both joint cartilage and subchondral bone of the acetabulum, osteoporosis of the proximal end of the femur and fracture of the femur and the level of the endoprosthesis. Several problems of surgical management ensued. This experience strengthens the author's opinion that other forms of treatment--reduction in traction and nailing or total hip prosthesis--should be tried first also in particular cases of chronologically aged, but physically healthy patients with medial fractures of the neck of the femur.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Estrogen dependence of the periovulatory plasma prolactin response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone in normal women.

It has been previously reported that GnRH is capable of inducing a PRL response in intact and castrated men treated with estradiol benzoate for 8-9 days. To further support the hypothesis of an estrogen-dependence of the PRL response to GnRH, GnRH was administered, either as a bolus or as a continuous infusion, to 45 normal women during various phases of their menstrual cycles. Synthetic GnRH (100 micrograms intravenous bolus) elicited a significant increase (mean 175%) in circulating PRL levels in nine women studied during the periovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle (days 14-17). Similarly, GnRH infusion (0.2 micrograms/min X 3 h) induced a PRL response (mean 148%) in six women studied during the same period. In contrast, saline infusion induced a modest decrease (37%) in plasma PRL levels in five women studied during the periovulatory period. No significant changes in circulating PRL levels were found after GnRH administration as a bolus or a continuous infusion, in 13 women during the late follicular phase (days 10-13) and in 12 women during the midluteal phase (days 21-24). Synthetic GnRH elicited the expected increase in gonadotropin levels during all phases of the cycle studied. The maximal response was found for both LH and FSH during the periovulatory phase of the cycle. In conclusion, the data confirm that GnRH is capable of stimulating a PRL response in humans and again suggest that this response is estrogen-dependent. Finally, a temporal correlation between the midcycle gonadotropin peak and the positive PRL response to exogenous GnRH has been established.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Differential effects of a dopaminergic drug (piribedil) on pituitary hormone release in normal men and women.

Six normal women, in the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle, and 6 normal men received orally 40, 60 and 100 mg doses of piribedil, a dopamine receptor agonist, or placebo. The effects of piribedil on anterior pituitary hormone release was evaluated. In normal women a dose-related decrease in Prl levels was observed, while in men the Prl decrement was not related to the dose employed. In women an increase in serum hGH occurred after administration of the lowest (40 mg) dose of piribedil. In normal men, on the contrary, a modest hGH stimulation was present after administration of all doses of the drug. No consistent changes in serum TSH, LH and FSH concentrations were observed and no side effects were reported. The results from this study indicate that piribedil can exert differential effects on hypophyseal trophic hormone release and that these effects are sex-related. It is possible that the differences observed in men and women after the administration of piribedil are due to a different endogenous dopaminergic tone, induced by the different sexual steroid environment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Effect of peptichemio in nonlocalized neuroblastoma.

PTC, a mixture of oligopeptides of m-L-sarcholysin, acting primarily as an alkylating agent, was utilized as initial therapy following diagnosis in 80 children with nonlocalized neuroblastoma. Of the 67 evaluable patients (21 Stage III, 41 Stage IV and five Stage IV-S), 51 had measurable lesions allowing to evaluate PTC activity; objective tumor responses to the drug were recorded in 45 of these 51 cases (88.2%); 5/5 Stage III, 37/41 Stage IV, 3/5 Stage IV-S. Complete responses were obtained in seven patients (13.7%), partial responses in 32 (62.7%), objective improvement in six (11.8%). Four patients (7.8%) had either no tumor change, or tumor progression. There have been two early drug-related deaths (3.9%). Stage III and IV patients responding to PTC were then treated by irradiation + VCR, followed by cycles of a combination of ADriamycin, vincristine, and cyclophosphamide. Stage IV-S patients received no further therapy. Thirteen of 21 Stage III (61.9%), five of 41 Stage IV (12.2%) and four of five Stage IV-S (80%) are presently alive from 19-48 months (median, 27 months). PTC is an effective agent in advanced neuroblastoma. However, the results of this report do not indicate that its addition to a "standard" treatment, at least in the schedule adopted in this protocol, has improved the final outcome of children with nonlocalized disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Biphasic effect of estradiol on luteinizing hormone response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone in castrated men.

This study was designed to investigate the possibility that in men estradiol (E2) has a stimulatory effect on the gonadotropin response to GnRH. Nine castrated adult men, who presented extremely low testosterone (T) concentrations, received 5 mg/day estradiol benzoate (E2B) i.m. every 24 hr for several days, starting 5 days after orchidectomy. During E2B treatment the pituitary responsiveness to GnRH (100 micrograms given as an iv bolus) was tested after 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144 hrs of E2B administration. The pituitary responsiveness to GnRH was also tested in untreated men from day 5 to day 10 following bilateral orchidectomy. In the E2B-treated subjects the increased serum estradiol concentrations induced an initial decrease and a subsequent increase of the LH response to GnRH. The responses were decreased after 24 hr of treatment; thereafter, the LH responses were progressively increased and were markedly augmented after 120 hr of E2B treatment. On the contrary, during treatment the FSH response to GnRH was preferentially blunted. In the untreated castrated men the LH and FSH responses to GnRH increased progressively from day 5 to day 10 after orchidectomy, but decreased responses were never observed during this period of observation. The maximum LH concentrations, which occurred at 30-60 min following GnRH in untreated castrated men, did not occur until 120-150 min in the E2B treated men.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

Estrogen-dependent plasma prolactin response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone in intact and castrated men.

Although it has been recently shown that GnRH is capable of increasing plasma PRL levels in humans, the role played by the steroid hormone environment in influencing this response has not been clarified. Fourteen intact and 14 castrated subjects with carcinoma of the prostate were studied before and after daily treatment with 1.5 mg estradiol benzoate (E2B), im, for 9 days PRL responsiveness was tested after GnRH was given as an iv bolus or a continuous infusion for 4 h. During a 4-h saline infusion after E2B treatment, plasma PRL levels were measured in 8 intact and 8 castrated subjects for control purposes. No significant increase in PRL levels was noted after iv bolus or infusion of GnRH in intact or castrated men. After the administration of pharmacological doses of E2B for 9 days, plasma PRL levels increased significantly in all subjects after both the iv bolus and the infusion of GnRH. During saline infusion, a significant decrease in plasma PRL levels was observed in all subjects. Plasma gonadotropin levels showed the expected increase after GnRH administration. Our findings confirm that GnRH is one of the numerous substances capable of stimulating PRL release in humans and demonstrate that in men: 1) pharmacological doses of estrogen induce a PRL response to GnRH, and 2) GnRH elicits different patterns of PRL release depending on the modality of administration. Finally, the physiological role of GnRH in PRL release, if any, remains to be established.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

Calcium antagonists and hormone release. III. Role of calcium in the biphasic release of luteinizing hormone in response to gonadotrophin-releasing hormone in vivo.

Recent in vitro studies have demonstrated that Ca2+ plays an essential role in gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-stimulated luteinizing hormone (LH) release. In vivo, we have previously shown that verapamil, a substance known to inhibit calcium entry into cells, is capable of inhibiting basal gonadotrophin release as well as the release of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in response to an iv bolus of GnRH. We have examined the effects of calcium antagonists on the two phases of pituitary LH release in response to constant GnRH infusion in normal subjects. In 6 men, constant infusion of GnRH (0.2 microgram/min x 4 h) resulted in the expected biphasic LH response, with an initial rapid release of LH during the first hour of infusion, followed by a second phase release during the subsequent 3 h. When verapamil (5 mg/h) was infused together with GnRH over a 4 h period, a significant decline of the rapid as well as delayed release of pituitary LH occurred. During the calcium antagonist infusion FSH release was also inhibited, indicating that Ca2+ is also important for the release of this hormone. Our data demonstrate that Ca2+ plays an essential role in the mechanism of GnRH action on both phases of LH release and the release of FSH in normal subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

[R wave variations during the bicycle exercise test].

R-wave changes have been measured in 90 normal subjects during exercise testing on the bicycle. We have found a 22,2% R-wave mean decrease in all the subjects independently from their age. This results, in our opinion, may be due to the heart volume decrease during dynamic exercise in normal subjects. In according to the Brody effect, heart volume reduction decrease radially orientated cardiac vectors and therefore QRS amplitude is reduced.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

[Meningococcus carriers in the population of L'Aquila: distribution according to blood group, drug resistance and prophylaxis].

During 1979 21 stocks of N.meningitidis were isolated from 1024 subjects living in the district of L'Aquila. These 21 stocks belong to the following groups of sera: 13 stocks belong to group B,6 to group Y and 2 to group Z. 85,71% of the stocks showed resistance to Sulfodiazine, 80,95% to Rifampicine, 9,52% to Tetracycline and to Minocycline.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1981

Sarcomatous variant of Wilms' tumor. A light and immunohistochemical study of four cases.

Four cases of infantile sarcomatous renal tumors are reported. Rhabdomyoblastic differentiation was investigated in these tumors by the immunoperoxidase method using antimyoglobin sera. Rhabdomyoblastic cells were found in 2 cases and in a metastasis of one case in which the primary tumor was composed by undifferentiated cells negative for myoglobin stain. The histogenesis of these neoplasias is discussed, and it is suggested that they are a sarcomatous variant of Wilms' tumor.

Child, Preschool↗