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Biomedical subjects

A Tirelli

Publications and source records attributed to A Tirelli.

50 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Incidence and immunochemical features of serum cryoglobulin in chronic liver disease.

Essential cryoglobulinaemia was detected in 44 out of 150 patients (29%) screened on the basis of histological confirmation of chronic inflammatory liver disease (chronic persistent or aggressive hepatitis, or cirrhosis). Cryoglobulinemia prevailed in the patients whose hepatic tissue showed more features of active inflammation; also, a female prevalence was observed. There were no correlations between cryoglobulinaemia and either HBsAg positivity or alcoholic liver disease. Mixed cryoglobulins made of heterogeneous immunoglobulins without monotypic components were mostly associated with established cirrhosis, whereas monotypic cryoglobulins were exclusively found in patients with either persistent or aggressive chronic hepatitis. Mixed cryoglobulins with a monotypic component were associated with all histological grades of liver damage. This study affords an objective evaluation of both the frequency and immunochemical features of cryoglobulins associated with chronic inflammatory liver disease.

Chronic Disease↗

Metabolic control may alter antithrombin III activity but not its plasma concentration in diabetes: a possible role for nonenzymatic glycosylation.

The effects of metabolic control on both antithrombin III (AT III) activity and AT III plasma concentration in 20 insulin-treated diabetic subjects have been evaluated. Basal AT III activity was significantly lower in diabetic subjects versus healthy controls (P less than 0.001), whereas no difference was found in AT III concentration. A good correlation was found between AT III activity and AT III concentration (r = 0.81; P less than 0.001) in healthy controls, but this correlation was not significant in diabetic subjects (r = 0.12; P = NS). In those subjects a linear inverse correlation was found to exist between AT III activity and level of glycosylated proteins (r = -0.43; P less than 0.05). Diabetic subjects were also examined after 1 and 2 mo of restored metabolic control, obtained by human insulin (DNA-recombinant) therapy. Improved metabolic control was characterized by an increase of AT III activity (P less than 0.05), a decrease of mean daily blood glucose, and stable HbA1 and glycosylated proteins (P less than 0.05), while AT III concentration did not vary. On the other hand, a significant inverse correlation between AT III activity and glycosylated proteins was found during both the first and second months (r = -0.54 and r = -0.53, respectively; P less than 0.01). Moreover, no correlation between AT III activity and AT III concentration was found. These data suggest that impaired metabolic control may alter the biologic activity of AT III in diabetes, but not its plasma concentration.

Antithrombin III↗

Heterotopic ossification after hip surgery in cerebral palsy.

Heterotopic ossification is a post-surgery complication occasionally observed in patients with infantile cerebral palsy. In the majority of the cases such lesions are found at the hip after surgery on the skeleton and the soft tissues. At our Institute in the last five years, this complication has been observed four times, in 39 patients, who underwent mainly soft tissue releases because of flexion and adduction contracture of the hip. In these cases, as in a further patient with myelomeningocele, the periarticular heterotopic ossification appeared in the hip after tenotomy of the ilio-psoas at the lesser tronchater associated to other surgical procedures. Conversely, no cases of ossification have been found after tenotomy of the adductors or the gracilis or selective tenotomy of the psoas at the pelvic brim. The exact causes of this complication are still unclear, but after an analysis of the literature and patient history it can be hypothesised that it may be related to the surgical procedures carried out.

Adolescent↗

Air pollution by gasoline exhaust fumes: effect on platelet function and blood viscosity.

Air pollution induced by automobile exhaust fumes seems to be involved in increased cardiovascular and respiratory morbidity. The effects of inhalation of such pollutant gases on platelet function and blood viscosity have not been sufficiently investigated, even if these parameters seem to be in strict correlation with cardiovascular function. Twelve healthy non-smoking volunteers were exposed for 30 minutes in a closed room to air polluted by automobile fumes. Platelet aggregation, blood viscosity, HbCO levels and P50 STD were determined before and after exposure. Cardiovascular parameters (blood pressure, heart rate and ECG) were also measured. At the end of the test, HbCO levels were significantly increased, but P50 STD was significantly reduced; an impairment of both platelet function and blood viscosity was observed. No significant changes in cardiovascular parameters were recorded. The decreases in platelet aggregation and blood viscosity were not directly correlated with either the increase in carbon monoxide levels or with the reduced P50 STD levels. It can be reasonably concluded that gasoline exhaust fumes could have been responsible for the observed alterations.

Adult↗