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Biomedical subjects

A Padovani

Publications and source records attributed to A Padovani.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Polymorphisms of the interleukin-1beta gene affect the risk of myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke at young age and the response of mononuclear cells to stimulation in vitro.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) gene polymorphisms as a link between inflammation, coagulation, and risk of ischemic vascular disease at young age. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 406 patients with myocardial infarction (MI) at young age, frequency-matched for age, sex, and recruitment center, with 419 healthy population-based controls and 134 patients with ischemic stroke at young age, matched by age and sex, with 134 healthy population-based controls, were studied. Subjects carrying the TT genotype of the -511C/T IL-1beta polymorphism showed a decreased risk of MI (odds ratio [OR], 0.36; 95% CI, 0.20 to 0.64) and stroke (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.81) after adjustment for conventional risk factors. In both studies, the T allele showed a codominant effect (P=0.0020 in MI; P=0.021 in stroke). Mononuclear cells from volunteers carrying the T allele showed a decreased release of IL-1beta and a decreased expression of tissue factor after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide compared with CC homozygotes. The presence of a monoclonal antibody against IL-1beta during cell stimulation resulted in a marked reduction of tissue factor activity expression. CONCLUSIONS: -511C/T IL-1beta gene polymorphism affects the risk of MI and ischemic stroke at young age and the response of mononuclear cells to inflammatory stimulation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Platelet APP, ADAM 10 and BACE alterations in the early stages of Alzheimer disease.

Amyloid precursor protein (APP), ADAM 10, and beta-site-APP cleaving enzyme (BACE) alterations were evaluated in platelets of 31 patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) and 15 age-matched controls. A significant modification of these proteins and enzymes involved in the amyloid cascade was detected from the earliest clinically detectable disease stage. This observation suggests that AD is associated with an early metabolic derangement toward amyloidogenic pathways and supports the potential value of APP and secretase measurements for early diagnosis of AD.

ADAM Proteins↗
PubMed2003

Transient global amnesia: a clinical and sonographic study.

BACKGROUND: The aetiology of transient global amnesia (TGA) is still unknown. The aim of this study was to identify potential risk factors for TGA, vascular risk factors, the role of patent foramen ovale (PFO) and of retrograde jugular venous flow. METHODS: 138 subjects entered the study, including 48 patients with TGA, 42 age-matched patients with transient ischaemic attack (TIA) and 48 controls. PFO was studied by contrast transcranial duplex sonography. Retrograde jugular venous flow was tested with air contrast ultrasound venography (ACUV). RESULTS: TGA patients and controls showed a lower prevalence for vascular risk factors than TIA patients. No statistical difference was found between the 3 groups with regard to PFO. ACUV detected jugular valve incompetence in 72.9% TGA, 35.7% TIA and 39.5% controls (TGA vs. TIA and TGA vs. controls p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: TGA patients have fewer vascular risk factors than TIA patients. Paradoxical embolism due to PFO as a cause of TGA is not confirmed in our study. Cerebral venous hypertension due to incompetence of the internal jugular valve may play a role in the pathogenesis of TGA.

Amnesia, Transient Global↗
PubMed2003

Volume reduction in cerebral blood flow in patients with Alzheimer's disease: a sonographic study.

Neuroimaging techniques such as PET and SPECT demonstrated a consistent reduction of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of the study was to assess the potential role of ultrasonography for CBF measurement in AD patients and whether the CBF volume correlates positively with disease severity. Fifty patients who met the diagnostic criteria of probable AD (NINDS-ADRDA) were compared to 50 age-matched healthy elderly volunteers. The extracranial internal carotid arteries (ICAs) and the vertebral arteries (VAs) of the patients and controls were examined. Angle-corrected time-averaged flow velocity (TAV) and the diameter of the vessel were measured. Intravascular flow volumes were calculated as the product of TAV and the cross-sectional area of the circular vessel. CBF volume was calculated as the sum of flow volumes in the ICAs and VAs of both sides. All subjects underwent the MMSE. The mean global CBF (474.87 +/- 94.085 vs. 744.26 +/- 94.082 ml/min; p < 0.0001) was lower in AD patients than in healthy volunteers. A significant decline in global flow volumes (r = 0.48; p < 0.0007) with the degree of cognitive impairment was also present. The ability of ultrasonography to characterize flow decreases makes such a technique an attractive tool for the study of AD, for the evaluation of pharmacological therapies and, possibly, for early diagnosis.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Early stages of probable Alzheimer disease are associated with changes in platelet amyloid precursor protein forms.

Previous findings demonstrated an altered pattern of amyloid precursor protein (APP) forms in platelets of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients, compared both with healthy control subjects or patients with non-Alzheimer-type dementia. The present study aims to evaluate whether platelet APP form ratio (APPr) is altered in patients with early stage AD. We selected 40 patients with early stage AD and 40 age-matched healthy controls. Compared with controls (mean+/-SD=0.91+/-0.3), mean APPr was decreased in AD (mean+/-SD=0.46+/-0.26, p<0.0001). Sixteen very mild AD patients (clinical dementia rating=0.5), identified among the AD group, showed a significant decrease of APPr values (mean+/-SD=0.50+/-0.3, p<0.0001). These findings indicate that alteration of APP processing in platelets is an early event and suggest that this assay might be of diagnostic value in differentiating mild AD from normal ageing.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Holmes' tremor following midbrain Toxoplasma abscess: clinical features and treatment of a case.

The label Holmes' tremor defines a rare symptomatic movement disorder frequently occurring with midbrain damage. It appears at rest and worsens adopting a posture and on attempting movements. We describe the case of a patient with Holmes' tremor due to a presumed Toxoplasma abscess of the midbrain. The positive response to a combined therapy with levodopa and isoniazid is also reported.

Antiparkinson Agents↗
PubMed2002

Clinical and serological associations of ribosomal P autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus: prospective evaluation in a large cohort of Italian patients.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the association of ribosomal anti-P antibodies (anti-P), as detected by a sensitive ELISA, with serological findings and clinical manifestations, including neuropsychiatric involvement evaluated according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) nomenclature, in a large cohort of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Anti-P were evaluated in the serum of 149 consecutive Italian SLE patients by an ELISA using a multiple antigen peptide carrying four copies of a common P0, P1 and P2 epitope. A complete laboratory evaluation and clinical examination were performed in each patient. In addition, all patients underwent an accurate neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological assessment performed by trained specialists according to the 1999 ACR suggestions. RESULTS: Serum anti-P were detected in 18/149 patients (12.1%). The anti-P prevalence was similar (11.7%) when the analysis was performed in a larger series of sera including 82 additional SLE patients, who were not included in the clinical study. The age of anti-P-positive patients at disease onset was less than 33 yr and, in comparison with the anti-P-negative patients, these patients showed more active disease activity and a higher prevalence of photosensitivity and malar and discoid rash. A strong association between IgG anticardiolipin antibodies and anti-P was also found. However, anti-P were associated with neither neuropsychiatric syndromes nor cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION: This study does not seem to confirm the described association of anti-P with SLE neuropsychiatric manifestations. However, it supports the anti-P association with different skin manifestations as well as the presence of anticardiolipin in a subset of patients with SLE characterized by early disease onset.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Amyloid precursor protein in platelets: a peripheral marker for the diagnosis of sporadic AD.

BACKGROUND: An altered pattern of amyloid precursor protein (APP) forms consisting in a reduced ratio between the upper (130 kDa) and the lower (106 to 110 kDa) immunoreactivity bands has been described in platelets of patients with AD. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sensitivity and the specificity of platelet APP forms' ratio (APPr) as a marker for AD. METHODS: Eighty-five patients with probable AD and 95 control subjects (CON), including healthy individuals and neurologic patients, entered the study. Platelet APPr was evaluated by means of Western Blot analysis and immunostaining in the whole platelet homogenate, and calculated by the ratio between the optical density (OD) of the upper (130 kDa) and the lower (106 to 110 kDa) APP immunoreactive bands. RESULTS: Mean APPr levels were decreased in AD patients (mean OD +/- SD = 0.35 +/- 0.18) compared with the CON group (mean OD +/- SD = 0.92 +/- 0.38) (DF 1, 178, p < 0.0001). Accuracy levels measured by Receiver Operating Curve analysis showed that a cut-off level of 0.57 resulted in a sensitivity of 88.2% and a specificity of 89.4%, with an area under the curve of 0.945. APPr levels were significantly associated with disease severity (mild AD versus moderate AD: p < 0.0001; moderate AD versus severe AD: p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Platelet APPr allowed to differentiate AD from normal aging and other dementing disorders with high sensitivity and specificity. These findings suggest that platelet APPr may be of help as an adjunctive diagnostic tool in clinical practice.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Prevalence and pattern of cognitive impairment in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with and without overt neuropsychiatric manifestations.

The prevalence and pattern of cognitive impairment in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with (NPSLE) and without (nSLE) overt neuropsychiatric manifestations were investigated. Fifty-two nSLE patients, 23 NPSLE patients and 27 healthy controls were evaluated with a battery of standardized neuropsychological and psychological tests. Disease duration, disease activity index, and current corticosteroid therapy were collected. Cognitive impairment was identified in 14 (26.9%) and in 12 (52.2%) of subjects with nSLE and NPSLE, respectively. Both SLE groups showed a significant impairment compared with controls on tasks assessing verbal and non-verbal long-term memory, and visuoconstructional abilities. In addition, NPSLE patients reported worse performances than both nSLE patients and controls on task evaluating short-term visuospatial memory. NPSLE subjects were significantly more anxious and depressed compared to both nSLE subjects and controls. By multivariate analysis, only depression levels, among clinical variables, significantly predicted cognitive performance. This study shows that cognitive impairment occurs frequently in both nSLE and NPSLE subjects. The higher frequency in NPSLE may be related to coexisting depressive disturbances.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed2001

Amyloid precursor protein in platelets of patients with Alzheimer disease: effect of acetylcholinesterase inhibitor treatment.

BACKGROUND: Amyloid precursor protein (APP) forms with apparent molecular weights of 130, 110, and 106 kd are present in human platelets. It has been demonstrated that Alzheimer disease (AD) is specifically associated with a decreased APP forms ratio in platelets. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor treatment modifies the ratio of platelet APP forms in patients with AD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From a large sample of patients with probable AD, 30 with mild to moderate AD were selected. Each patient underwent a clinical evaluation including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and platelet APP forms analysis at baseline and after 30 days. During this interval, 20 of 30 patients with AD were treated with donepezil hydrochloride (5 mg/d), a piperidine phosphate-based cholinesterase inhibitor. Platelets were subjected to Western blot analysis using monoclonal antibody (22C11). The ratio between the immunoreactivity of the higher-molecular-weight APP form (130 kd) and the lower forms (106 and 110 kd) was measured. RESULTS: All patients taking donepezil completed the 30 days of treatment without adverse effects. The platelet APP forms ratio at baseline did not differ between the 2 AD groups (mean +/- SD optical density ratio: untreated AD, 0.47 +/- 0.12; treated AD, 0.38 +/- 0.18), whereas a significant difference was found at follow-up (mean +/- SD optical density ratio: untreated AD, 0.45 +/- 0.17; treated AD, 0.77 +/- 0.29; P<.001). A significant improvement in MMSE scores in treated AD patients was observed from baseline (16.9 +/- 3.8) to 30 days (18.9 +/- 4.42) (P<.009, 30 days vs baseline), but no significant correlation was found in treated AD patients between MMSE score improvement and APP forms/ratio increase (P =.09). CONCLUSIONS: Administration of AChE inhibitors increases the ratio of APP forms in platelets of patients with AD, suggesting a potential effect of AChE inhibitors on APP trafficking or processing in a peripheral cell.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Lemierre's syndrome complicated by carotid thrombosis.

Lemierre's syndrome, also known as postanginal sepsis, is a rare condition that presents as an increasing sore throat due to acute pharyngitis or tonsillitis and progresses to sepsis, due to suppurative thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein. We present an atypical case of Lemierre's syndrome complicated by carotid thrombosis. The etiological factors and the diagnostic and therapeutic measures are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Platelet amyloid precursor protein forms in AD: a peripheral diagnostic tool and a pharmacological target.

Alzheimer Disease (AD) is characterized by the progressive deposition of beta-amyloid in the parenchyma and cerebral microvasculature. The beta-amyloid peptide derives from the metabolism of a larger precursor, Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP). This protein is present in central nervous system, but it is also expressed in peripheral tissues such as circulating cells. An alteration of the APP forms pattern in platelets has been recently reported in AD patients when compared to platelets both of control subjects or non AD patients (NADD). The accuracy of the assay to identify AD is high and decreased levels are found throughout the course of AD with a significant association with severity of symptoms. Moreover, a recent study has demonstrated that AD patients on donepezil (5 mg daily) for 4 weeks displayed two-fold increase in their APPr baseline levels up to normal range. Thus, platelet APP ratio (APPr) holds the potential to be a clinical marker, which might be of helpful and adjunctive value in the diagnosis of AD and in tracking the course of illness, also in the early stages when pharmacological treatment has the greatest potential of being effective.

Alzheimer Disease↗