Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Satta

Publications and source records attributed to A Satta.

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

Urinary glycosaminoglycans in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: Several investigations indicate that glycosaminoglycans (GAG) are important components of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) and that they play a remarkable role in the control of charge-selectivity in the glomerular capillary wall. In order to evaluate the possible use of GAG as a marker of glomerular disease, we evaluated urinary GAG excretion in 37 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) grouped by disease activity and kidney involvement and in 17 healthy controls. METHODS: GAG were isolated from urine by using ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE Sephacel. GAG composition was determined by cellulose acetate electrophoresis and expressed as relative percentages by densitometric scanning of Alcian Blue stained strips. RESULTS: Total GAG levels were significantly increased only in active extra-renal SLE patients. Qualitative analysis of urinary GAG revealed the presence of a low sulphated chondroitin sulphate-protein complex (LSC-PG), whose frequency was higher in patients compared to controls. Moreover, inactive SLE was characterized by an alteration of the chondroitin sulphate/heparan sulphate ratio. CONCLUSION: These variations suggest the presence of an abnormal permeability of the renal filter in patients without other appreciable signs of kidney alteration. Therefore, qualitative-quantitative urinary GAG analysis could represent an additional diagnostic approach.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Preliminary study to antituberculosis chemotherapy in a region of sub-Saharian Africa: annual risk of tuberculosis infection calculation and tuberculin survey.

A tuberculin survey was performed in Arua District (577,799 inhabitants, recent return of refugees from Zaire and Sudan) in 1987 prior to the implementation of antituberculosis Chemotherapy and Control Programme. 50 clusters (schools) of 30 pupils each were selected in the 7 Counties by Sistematic Random Sampling. 1110 students 10 year old without BCG vaccination scar were injected with 5 IU of PPD; 1016 of them (more than 6% of the estimated district population of 10 year of age) came back after 72 hours for reading. 125 of them were positives (more than 10 mm of induration). The Infection Rate detected was 1.23% +/- 0.19. Considering the infection rates found by the Ugandan National Surveys done in 1950 (2.6%) and in 1970 (2.3%), and the slight slope of the curve calculated on those values we have underestimated the real Infection Rate in the district. To avoid this bias we suggest to include schools in sampling (it is simple and cost-effective) only if the Student's population is likely to be representative of the general population.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of ubidecarenone in an exercise training program for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.

A study was undertaken to determine the usefulness of ubidecarenone in pulmonary rehabilitation in exercise training programs in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The subjects were 20 patients with COPD who had been participating in an exercise training program for at least four weeks. The patients were randomly assigned either to receive 50 mg of oral ubidecarenone daily or to enter a control group during the program. Oxygen consumption, expired volume, and heart rate were measured during exercise tests before and after training. Maximum oxygen consumption increased 13% in the ubidecarenone-treated patients and 7% in the controls, and maximum expired volume increased 10% in each group. The increases were significant in the ubidecarenone group but not in the controls. Heart rate increased 2% in both groups. It is concluded that ubidecarenone deserves further evaluation in exercise training programs for patients with COPD.

Coenzymes↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Use of normalized velocities in the echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular performance].

The mean circumferential contraction rate of the myocardial fiber cell (Mvcf) and the ejection fraction (EF) are echocardiographic parameters commonly employed in the assessment of left ventricular performance. In cases where septal asynchonism due to fibrosis or bundle-branch block make their determination impossible, however, one is forced to use parameters obtained from movement of the posterior wall. Investigation of normal subjects and patients with idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis showed that the "normalized" systolic velocity of the posterior wall (Vpws) and the non-normalized mean velocity (PWV) closely fitted Mvcf and that Vpws offered a good fit with EF. It is suggested that a non-invasive way of obtaining sufficiently reliable data for the evaluation of cardiac performance is offered by these two parameters.

Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Normalized median velocity of circumferential fiber lengthening studied with ultrasonics. III. Comparison with the normalized protodiastolic median "velocity" of the posterior wall].

Both mitral valve closing speed (MVV) and the mean standardized circumferential lengthening of the myocardial fibrocell (MVCL), between which a good correlation exists, may be used as indirect indices of ventricular compliance. These two indices have been compared with those obtained echocardiographically from the movement of the posterior wall of the ventricle in a group of normal subjects and in a group suffering from hypertrophic subaortic stenosis (IHSS). The comparison between MVCL and mean standardized speed of protodiastolic prolapse of the posterior wall (Wpwd) was fairly significant (P=0.01); that between MVCL and mean speed of protodiastolic prolapse of the posterior wall (DEV) was only slightly significant (P=0.05) or was not significant at all; that between MVCL and the maximum speed of protodiastolic release (DEVM) was slightly significant (P=0.05). Although the correlation between MVV and the various indices obtained from the movement of the posterior wall (DEV, DEVM, Vpwd) were quite significant (P=0.01), it is considered that Vpwd is preferable as an indirect index of ventricular compliance. As it is capable of distinguishing subjects with IHSS from normal subjects inthose cases in which the movement of valvular peaks, modified or impeded by inflammatory or fibrotic processes does not a-low MVV to be measured, we think Vpwd can be usefully employed as it can in all those circumstances in which it is impossible to measure MVCL owing to alterations to normal septal synchronism (infarction and fibrosis of the septum, branch blocks, etc.).

Aortic Stenosis, Subvalvular↗