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Biomedical subjects

A Quatraro

Publications and source records attributed to A Quatraro.

68 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Analysis of diabetic family connection in subjects with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).

The family connection of diabetes was examined from the clinical records of 3,372 subjects who were seen, as an out patient population, within the frame of a Regional Health Program in Taranto, South Italy. The family connection of diabetes resulted from a questionnaire in which the subjects had to give informations about their disease, if present, and degrees of relationship that were directly verified by us with the examination (clinic and laboratory) of relatives said to have diabetes. From the analysis of records, it emerged that 112 patients were affected by insulin-dependent-diabetes mellitus (IDDM): 54 of them were related with at least one subject suffering from noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), 13 with at least one subject affected by IDDM and the remaining 45 did not show any family connection. The corresponding figures found in a group of healthy control subjects, matched to IDDM patients for age, sex and BMI, were 19, 2 and 84, respectively (p less than 0.001). 34 IDDM patients were related with a first degree of relationship (parents, sons, sibs) to diabetic subjects (IDDM or NIDDM), but only 4 controls showed such a degree (p less than 0.001). These results seem to indicate that patients with IDDM have an increased family history of NIDDM.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Beta-endorphin and obesity. Possible pathogenetic implications].

Several experimental data have documented the ability of both opiates and opioid peptides to stimulate food intake. On the other hand, the plasma beta-endorphin levels found in obese patients are higher than those observed in normal-weight controls, which may have pathogenetic implications. We have investigated the responses of plasma glucose, insulin, C-peptide and glucagon to an infusion of human beta-endorphin in formerly obese subjects who had obtained by dieting the normalization of body weight and in lean controls. The data show that: a) the increased plasma beta-endorphin concentrations found in human obesity are not corrected by normalization of body weight; b) formerly obese subjects behave as obese subjects in their metabolic and hormonal responses to beta-endorphin.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Low molecular weight heparin restores antithrombin III activity from hyperglycemia induced alterations.

Alteration of antithrombin III (ATIII) activity, glycemia level dependent, exists in diabetes mellitus. In this study the ability of a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) (Fluxum, Alfa-Wassermann S.p.A., Bologna, Italy), as well as unfractioned héparin, to preserve ATIII activity from glucose-induced alterations, both in vitro and in vivo, is reported. The subcutaneous and intravenous LMWH and heparin administration increases basal depressed ATIII activity in diabetic patients. Heparin shows an equivalent effect on both anti-IIa and anti-Xa activity of ATIII, while LMWH is more effective in preserving the anti-Xa activity. Similarity, heparin preserves ATIII activity from hyperglycemia-induced alterations, during hyperglycemic clamp, and LMWH infusion is able to preserve a significant amount of anti-Xa activity from glucose-induced alterations. Since diabetic patients show a high incidence of thrombotic accidents, LMWH appears to be a promising innovation for the prevention of diabetic thrombophylia.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evidence for a possible role of oxygen free radicals in the abnormal functional arterial vasomotion in insulin dependent diabetes.

A functional arterial spasm, revealed by reduced post-ischemic response, is present in diabetic subjects with no overt evidence of vascular damage. The administration of three different antioxidant agents, vitamin C, thiopronine and glutathione, produces an increase of basal blood flow in both diabetic and normal subjects, and ameliorates significantly the vascular functional response in diabetes. These data suggest that free radicals may play a role in the regulation of arterial resistance in humans, and that a de-regulation of their action may be involved in the development of arterial dysfunction in diabetes.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A preliminary note on inhibiting effect of alpha-tocopherol (vit. E) on protein glycation.

Human plasma albumin was incubated in 25 mM/l glucose at 37 degrees C for up to sevent days. Aliquots of this mixture were also incubated with alpha-tocopherol (Vitamin E) at 2 mg/dl, 4 mg/dl and 8 mg/dl, respectively. Vitamin E inhibited protein glycation and, furthermore, shows a dose-dependent effect. This report suggests the possibility of using Vitamin E, at therapeutic doses, to obtain the inhibition of non-enzymatic glycation.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Coronary artery disease in type-2 diabetes mellitus: a scintigraphic study.

This study was aimed at evaluating the level of metabolic control and cardiovascular risk factors in a population of Type 2 diabetic patients with coronary artery disease. We used myocardial thallium-201 scintigraphy as a measure of coronary perfusion integrity. One hundred and forty six diabetic patients presenting with chest pain, ischaemic ECG changes or a positive exercise test underwent myocardial thallium-201 imaging perfusion in conjunction with exercise stress. Scintigrams were assessed by a computer assisted image analysis. The cardiovascular risk factors considered were sex, age, BMI and waist-hip ratio, smoking, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum lipids (total cholesterol and triglycerides), glycated haemoglobin A1, urinary albumin excretion, white blood cell count, and diabetes duration. The proportion of male diabetic subjects with a positive scintigraphy was 63% while that of diabetic women was 45% (p < 0.05). Mean age, anthropometric measures and diabetes indices were similar when diabetic patients with positive or negative scintigraphy were compared. The prevalence of patients with microalbuminuria and retinopathy (both non-proliferative and proliferative) was higher in positive (26% and 27%, respectively) than in negative (10% and 11%, respectively, p = 0.01) diabetic patients. Total cholesterol and white blood cell counts were also higher in positive diabetics (p < 0.05-0.01). These findings suggest that a cluster of risk factors (cholesterol, white blood cells, microalbuminuria) may be implicated in the development of coronary artery disease in Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The combination of insulin and oral hypoglycaemic drugs: a continuous challenge.

A large number of studies have demonstrated the efficacy and usefulness of combining insulin and sulfonylurea therapy in Type 2 diabetic patients with secondary therapeutic failure. Better glycaemic profiles and/or decreased insulin needs, which are shown to persist after a maximum of 5 years, have been reported in diabetic patients on combination therapy. Residual beta-cell function appears to be a prerequisite for a favourable effect of combined therapy since the diabetics who continued to benefit from this were those whose C-peptide levels (both fasting and stimulated) remained greater than baseline. The concept of combined therapy might not be confined to sulfonylurea: the biguanide, metformin, has been found useful in obese diabetic patients with secondary failure. The combination of insulin with other new promising drugs or triple associations (insulin+sulfonylurea+biguanide) are also worth considering.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Impaired fibrinolytic response to increased thrombin activation in type 1 diabetes mellitus: effects of the glycosaminoglycan sulodexide.

Data on fibrinolysis in diabetes mellitus are still unclear, as is the role of hyperglycaemia on this topic and the possibility of any therapeutic intervention. In this study we examined fibrinopeptide A, tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor plasma levels in Type 1 diabetic patients compared to matched healthy normal controls, and the effect of induced hyperglycaemia on these parameters. At the same time the effect of a glycosaminoglycan, Sulodexide, administration during hyperglycaemia was evaluated. Fibrinopeptide A and plasminogen activator inhibitor were increased while tissue plasminogen activator was decreased in Type 1 diabetic patients, in the basal state. Induced hyperglycaemia increases fibrinopeptide A formation and tissue plasminogen activator concentrations, while it decreases plasminogen activator inhibitor levels more in normal subjects than in diabetic patients. Sulodexide consistently reduces this phenomenon. This study shows an altered fibrinolytic response to increased thrombin activation in Type 1 diabetic patients and suggests that the administration of the glycosaminoglycan, Sulodexide, may help to reduce this phenomenon.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Is a family history of diabetes associated with an increased level of cardiovascular risk factors? Studies in healthy people and in subjects with different degree of glucose intolerance.

In order to evaluate whether the presence of a positive family history of diabetes (PFH) may have a negative impact on both glucose metabolism and cardiovascular risk factors, we studied parameters of carbohydrate metabolism (fasting and 2h-plasma glucose, HbA1c) and beta-cell function (fasting insulin and C-peptide), as well as the levels of some established cardiovascular risk factors (total cholesterol and triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, blood pressure) in 729 subjects who were seen within the frame of a Regional Health Program in Taranto, South Italy. According to the NDDG criteria, 147 men and 235 women had normal glucose tolerance, 54 men and 66 women non-diagnostic OGTT, 65 men and 79 women impaired glucose tolerance, and 45 men and 58 women newly-diagnosed Type 2 diabetes. There was a continuous increase of PFH across the categories of glucose intolerance (p < 0.001). Subjects with PFH were younger (4 years on the average) than subjects without PFH. After adjustment for age, there was no difference in the clinical and metabolic parameters considered across the categories of glucose tolerance between subjects with or without PFH. Only in OGTT-diagnosed diabetics, was the presence of PFH associated with significantly greater levels of total cholesterol and 2h-plasma glucose, as well as a trend for triglycerides and HbA1c to be higher. There was a continuous increase in fasting glucose, HbA1c, insulin and C-peptide across the categories; however, the C-peptide/insulin molar ratio was lowest in OGTT-diagnosed diabetics. There was a graded and significant increase in the levels of cardiovascular risk factors across the categories.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗