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Biomedical subjects

A Nicolini

Publications and source records attributed to A Nicolini.

121 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Carbon dioxide angiography. A new injection system].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of a new carbon dioxide (CO2) intravascular injection system in digital subtraction angiography. MATERIAL AND METHODS: March 1998 to May 1999, thirty-nine patients were submitted to digital subtraction angiography with CO2 injection by a new delivery system, CO2-Angioset, OptiMed, Ettingen, Germany. The patients were 29 men and 10 women, whose age ranged 32 to 76 (mean: 47), eighteen of them with absolute or relative contraindications to iodinated contrast media and 6 with poor diagnostic findings at previous conventional angiography. CO2 was used for comparison with iodinated contrast agents in 4 patients. We studied the following vascular districts: renal arteries in 9 patients, portal vein in 18, lower limb arteries in 7, upper limb veins in 4. In 1 patient CO2 angiography was carried out for the diagnosis and interventional treatment, by transcatheter embolization, of a postbioptic arteriovenous renal fistula. During the procedure, arterial blood pressure, EKG status and oxygen stauration were monitored, and subjective sensations recorded in all patients. RESULTS: CO2 angiography provided adequate visualization of vascular districts and of abnormal findings in 32 cases (82%), while its results were considered insufficient for correct and complete assessment in 7 cases (18%). In detail, renal arteries studies were adequate in 9/9 cases, providing good depiction of the arterial trunk and main branches but poor demonstration of interlobar and arcuate arteries. The portal trunk was well depicted in 12/18 cases, but CO2 angiography results were insufficient in 3 cases because of poor catheter wedging in the hepatic vein and in 2 cases because of CO2 drainage by an accessory hepatic vein. Peripheral circulation was clearly depicted in 5/7 cases, while there was incomplete filling of the abdominal aorta and of iliac and femoral arteries in 2 cases. We had only one transient complication (2.57%) due to mesenteric ischemia during an aortic injection, with mild abdominal pain and diarrhea which subsided spontaneously in few minutes. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience the CO2-Angioset delivery system has proved to be a simple and safe tool, particularly suitable for use in patients at risk for allergic reactions to iodinated contrast agents and in those with renal function impairment. Also, the system can help carry out some interventional procedures such as arteriovenous fistula embolization and transjugular portosystemic shunting.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Congenital hip dysplasia. The controversial results of a screening program].

The authors report their experience in a screening program for congenital hip dislocation. Goal of this study is to recognize the best technique for early diagnosis in this disease. The result show that we need further study and complete cooperation between pediatrician, radiologist and orthopedist to realize the best cost/benefit ratio.

Female↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of serum CA549, CA M26 and CA M29 levels in the post-operative follow-up of breast cancer patients.

In a group of breast cancer patients post-operatively followed-up by serum CEA, TPA, and CA15-3 level determinations, the CA549, CA M26 and CA M29 values as well were measured. In metastatic patients, CA549 and CA M26 showed a sensitivity only slightly lower (70% and 67%, respectively) than that of TPA which was the highest (78%), while CA M29 sensitivity (58%) was much lower than that of TPA and similar to CEA (57%). In non-relapsed patients, CA M26 and CA M29 showed a specificity (95% and 92% respectively) similar to CEA (86%) and CA15-3 (92%) and much higher than TPA (73%). Among the possible associations of all the studied tumor markers, the CA M26-CA M29-CEA one seems the most promising because of its high sensitivity and specificity. Benign liver diseases and/or diabetes are probably the reasons most often responsible for the aspecific increase in serum CA549 values. On the other hand, they seem to affect the CA M29 much less and the CA M26 almost not at all.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Transfection of a retroviral construct carrying a non producer HIV-1 variant induces HIV-1 resistance in CD4+ CEMss cells.

The phenotype of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV)-infected HUT-78 cell clone (F12) has been described (Federico et al, AIDS Res Hum Retrov 1989; 5: 365-96). Briefly, F12 cells are: i) CD4 down-regulated, ii) non producer and iii) fully resistant to homologous superinfection. We tested whether this phenotype was dependent upon the expression of the HIV-1 genome integrated therein. The SstI/SstI F12 provirus was cloned and inserted in the pLj retroviral vector bearing the neomycin (neo)-Geneticine resistance gene. CD4+ HIV-susceptible CEMss cells were transfected with this construct in the sense orientation. Neo-resistant clones exhibited an integrated viral DNA, low viral mRNA expression and (as in F12 cells) the presence of uncleaved gp160, no gp41 and a small amount of p55 gag precursor. Superinfection of the F12/HIV-DNA-transfected CEMss clones showed that these CD4+ cells had acquired a significant (0.7-1.5 logs) resistance towards superinfection with HIV-1. This was observed in all four transfected clones where the F12/HIV DNA was expressed, but not in the control clone that was transfected with the pLj vector alone. These results confirm those that were obtained with human CD4+ CEMss cells infected with a recombinant retrovirus bearing the same SstI/SstI F12/HIV genome (Federico et al, J Gen Virol, 1993, in press). Both sets of results indicate that the expression of this genome in bio-engineered CD4+ human cells results in their intracellular immunization against HIV-1.

CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Difficult intubation in paediatric cardiac surgery. Significance of age. Association with Down's syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between the age of pediatric patients and the likelihood of difficult intubations and to confirm the importance of Down Syndrome causing difficult intubations. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Pediatric cardiac surgery operating room. PATIENTS: 627 pediatric patients, suffering from congenital heart disease, operated in our hospital from 1992 to 1994, divided in three age groups (under 1 month, between 1 month and 1 year, over 1 year of age). INTERVENTIONS: Translaryngeal intubation performed in the operating room before the operation. MEASUREMENTS: The percentage of difficult intubations was assessed in the three age groups and the association with Down syndrome was also considered. The likelihood of orotracheal intubations in each of the preceding groups was also examined. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of difficult intubation in our experience was estimated to be 4.62%. Intubation's difficulty increases with decreasing age of non Down patients. The risk of difficult intubation in Down patients is, irrespectively of age, nearly 27% higher than in non-Downs (5.77% versus 4.52). However Down Syndrome seems to be important only in the age group between one month and one year. The percentage of orotracheal intubations in the preceding groups, even if indirectly, seem to confirm this observation.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Enoximone in weaning from mechanical circulation support in pediatric patients].

OBJECTIVE: To assess and record the response to continuous infusion of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor enoximone during weaning from mechanical circulatory support (MCS) and to verify the possibility of success with this indication in pediatric patients. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Pediatric cardiac surgery intensive care unit. PATIENTS: Two pediatric patients operated for complex congenital heart disease with low cardiac output syndrome in the immediate postoperative period, evolved in cardiocirculatory arrest despite massive inotropic pharmacological support, and then assisted by mechanical circulatory support. INTERVENTIONS: Weaning from mechanical circulatory support with continuous infusion of enoximone, only in one case preceded by a loading dose and associated with catecholamine infusion. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: During weaning hemodynamic parameters (LAP, CVP, MAP, HR), SvO2, diuresis, rectal and cutaneous temperatures were assessed and recorded. A serial echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular systolic and diastolic diameters and ejection fraction (EF%) has also been performed every 12 hours. Weaning from MCS using enoximone as inotropic support was possible in both cases. CONCLUSIONS: Enoximone proved to be useful in weaning from MCS in two pediatric patients, despite the difficulty to assess its effect in one of the two cases in which enoximone was used together with high dosages of other inotropic drugs. These initial positive results urge us to further investigate applications of this drug in pediatric patients.

Assisted Circulation↗