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C Ferraro

Publications and source records attributed to C Ferraro.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Prolactin response to d-fenfluramine in obsessive-compulsive patients, and outcome of fluvoxamine treatment.

BACKGROUND: Although several studies have directly explored serotonin (5-HT) transmission in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), their results have been inconsistent and their clinical relevance is doubtful. METHOD: According to a double-blind placebo-controlled design, plasma prolactin (PRL) response to a specific serotonergic probe, d-fenfluramine, was measured in 20 drug-free obsessive-compulsive patients and in 20 matched healthy controls. After the neuroendocrine test, 15 patients completed a 10-week treatment with fluvoxamine. Psychopathological assessment was performed before and after therapy. RESULTS: PRL response in OCD patients was blunted under the drug-free condition; correlated inversely with pretreatment ratings of obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptomatology; and correlated inversely with the improvement in obsessive-compulsive score observed after fluvoxamine treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the idea of a dysfunction of 5-HT transmission in OCD, and suggest that the greater this impairment, the better the response to drugs which selectively block the reuptake of 5-HT.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

The serum levels of sE-selectin are increased in patients with bullous pemphigoid or pemphigus vulgaris. Correlation with the number of skin lesions and recovery after corsticosteroid therapy.

Soluble E (sE)-selectin represents the soluble isoform of cellular E-selectin, an adhesion molecule synthesized only by endothelial cells. As a consequence, it may be considered a marker of endothelial activity. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the serum levels of sE-selectin in nine patients affected with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and in 15 patients with bullous pemphigold (BP). Higher amounts of sE-selectin, median 40.3 ng/mL, range 30-109.6 were found in the patients when compared with 20 healthy individuals, median 28.5 ng/mL, range 6.4-48; P < 0.01, matched for sex and age. These levels were also significantly correlated with the number of detectable lesions (r = 0.63, P < 0.001) when the patient data were considered at the time of the first observation. Thirteen subjects were followed over time for a maximum of 3 months (from three to seven observations). During therapy, the number of lesions and the serum sE-selectin values decreased concomitantly. Differently from sE-selectin, the serum soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) values were not significantly different in the patients from the controls and showed no correlation with the serum sE-selectin concentrations or with the number of lesions. The data presented point to the possible use of sE-selectin determinations as a non-specific follow-up marker, suitable to gauge disease intensity over time and emphasize that endothelial activation is present in BP as well as in PV.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1997

Cytokines in the sera of patients with pemphigus vulgaris: interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha levels are significantly increased as compared to healthy subjects and correlate with disease activity.

Cytokine serum levels, when detectable, are currently measured in many disease states, both to evaluate a possible pathogenetic involvement of such molecules and for clinical purposes. No data are currently available on the cytokine levels in the sera of patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV), a rare bullous disease of autoimmune origin. This study presents data concerning the levels of 13 different cytokines assayed in the sera of 25 patients affected with PV as compared with 20 healthy subjects using high sensitivity ELISA kits. Of the 13 molecules analyzed, no differences in the levels of most cytokines were observed between pemphigus and control sera, with the exception of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Serum TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels were found to be significantly higher in PV patients than in normal controls (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the levels of the two cytokines decreased after one month of corticosteroid therapy. A significant correlation was found between the serum levels of both TNF-alpha and IL-6 and the number of lesions for each patient (p < 0.001). The data presented support an involvement of at least IL-6 and TNF-alpha in the biological modifications associated with PV manifestations.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

The MIC-KEY.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Plasma postheparin diamine oxidase in patients with small intestinal lymphoma.

Diamine oxidase (DAO) is an enzyme located almost exclusively in villus tip enterocytes. Its plasma activity is enhanced by intravenous heparin which releases the enzymes from small bowel enterocytes into the blood. Plasma postheparin DAO (PHD) values have been shown to be significantly lower in patients with malabsorption and villous atrophy, thus suggesting that PHD reflects the mature enterocytic mass. In this study we have assayed PHD in five patients with small bowel lymphoma (two with immunoproliferative small intestinal disease [IPSID] and three with non-IPSID lymphoma) associated with malabsorption syndrome and small bowel mucosa atrophy. The PHD test was performed at diagnosis, after partial or complete remission induced by chemotherapy, and during the follow-up. The PHD values, very low at diagnosis (0.66 +/- 0.12 U/ml), increased during chemotherapy and reached the normal range (greater than 3.7 U/ml) when complete remission occurred. The PHD values rapidly and consistently decreased whenever the disease relapsed. Our data indicate that in patients with small bowel lymphoma PHD test is a sensitive marker of small bowel mucosa damage and suggest that it could be useful in monitoring the recovery of mucosal lesions induced by chemotherapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Postheparin plasma diamine oxidase values in the follow up of patients with small bowel Crohn's disease.

Measurement of postheparin plasma diamine oxidase (PHD) activity has been proposed to assess mucosal integrity in several diseases of the small intestine. In Crohn's disease, PHD values identify a group of patients with predominantly small bowel mucosal damage. To determine the role of mucosal involvement in the progression of small bowel Crohn's disease and whether different PHD values can predict different outcomes the changes in PHD values in 41 patients with small bowel Crohn's disease admitted consecutively to our department were investigated. The test was performed during periods of active disease and after either medical or surgical treatment had resulted in improvement. PHD values were significantly lower than in normal subjects (normal range 3.7-7.7 U/ml). In 35 patients with active disease (Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) greater than 150) two groups were identified by choosing a cut off value of 2 U/ml: 93% of the 15 patients with PHD values lower than 2 U/ml (mean (SD) 1.36 (0.46) U/ml) relapsed at least once in the following year, while only the 20% of the 20 whose values were higher than 2 U/ml (mean (SD) 3.69 (1.50)) relapsed in the same period. The data were statistically significant (Yates's corrected chi 2 = 15.63; p less than 0.0001). The positive and negative predictive values of the test were 93% and 80%, respectively. During relapses, PHD values were consistently lower than previous values, and increased significantly after effective medical or surgical treatment. In the six patients in whom there were no changes in disease activity (CDAI persistently less than 150), there was no change in PHD values. This test may be useful for identifying Crohn's disease patients who are likely to relapse. Furthermore, the data indicate that mucosal damage is common in active small bowel Crohn's disease and improves at least in part after treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Polyamine uptake by human colon carcinoma cell line CaCo-2.

The intracellular concentrations of the polyamines are highly regulated and high polyamine concentrations are associated with rapidly proliferating cells. Hormones, nutrients and growth factors that stimulate the proliferation of the intestinal epithelium, increase the intracellular polyamine concentration mainly by activating ODC expression. Other cell types stimulated to proliferate satisfy their requirement for polyamines by increasing polyamine uptake. In the present study, we investigated polyamine uptake by a human colon carcinoma cell line, CaCo-2. Uptake of putrescine, spermidine and spermine by CaCo-2 cells was saturable and temperature dependent and all polyamines appear to share a common carrier. The carrier of differentiated cells had an apparently higher affinity and lower activity than the carrier of replicating cells. Culture of CaCo-2 cells on porous filters showed that polyamine accumulation occurred mainly through the basolateral membrane in replicating cells, while an increase in the rate of apical uptake was observed after differentiation. A significant increase in polyamine uptake and in ODC expression resulted from fresh medium replacement, a well-known stimulus to proliferation; no change in uptake occurred after ODC inhibition by DFMO. We conclude that CaCo-2 cells are able to increase their polyamine concentration by both enhanced synthesis and increased polyamine uptake.

Biogenic Polyamines↗
PubMed1990

Regulation of diamine oxidase expression by ornithine decarboxylase in isolated rat small bowel enterocytes.

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and diamine oxidase (DAO), enzymes involved in polyamine metabolism, are highly expressed by small bowel enterocytes. Modulation of ODC expression is mediated through cellular concentration of polyamines that inhibits the enzyme synthesis and also induces the synthesis of an inhibitory protein, the antizyme, which in turn binds to ODC and inhibits its activity. DAO is an important regulator of intracellular concentration of polyamines because it catalyzes the degradation of putrescine into gamma-aminobutyraldehyde. Change in intracellular polyamine concentration has been suggested to represent a regulatory factor for DAO expression. In order to investigate a possible regulation of DAO expression by ODC, we studied the effect of difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), a selective, irreversible inhibitor of ODC, on DAO activity in isolated rat small bowel enterocytes. Our data demonstrate that in isolated small bowel enterocytes ODC inhibition by 10 mM DFMO reduced DAO activity by 53%, suggesting that, in our experimental conditions, ODC plays a regulatory role on DAO expression.

Amine Oxidase (Copper-Containing)↗
PubMed1989

Release of diamine oxidase into plasma by glycosaminoglycans in rats.

Plasma diamine oxidase (DAO) values are enhanced by intravenous injection of heparin which releases the enzyme, synthesized in small bowel enterocytes, from binding sites located on endothelial cells of the intestinal microvasculature. Intestinal DAO, in analogy with lipoprotein lipase (another heparin-released enzyme), is believed to be electrostatically linked to endothelial binding sites composed of a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which is presumably heparan sulphate, but the complete mechanism of enzyme release is not known. In this study we assayed in rats the DAO-releasing capability of heparan sulphate, dermatan sulphate, chondroitin sulphate A and hyaluronic acid, all heparin related compounds. Heparan sulphate, a compound with the same hexosamine as heparin but with a lower concentration of sulphated iduronic acid, induced a very high release of DAO (3-fold less than heparin), while the other tested GAGs, composed of higher proportions of non sulphated uronic acid and with galactosamine instead of glucosamine, induced a significantly lower release. In rats treated with 60 mg heparan sulphate the significant decrease in ileal mucosal DAO activity indicates that, in analogy with heparin, the high plasma enzymatic activity induced is of enterocytic origin. It is suggested that the high charge density of the compounds tested, due to the degree of sulphatation, is the decisive factor in promoting the release of intestinal DAO.

Amine Oxidase (Copper-Containing)↗
PubMed1983

Relationship between rib hump deformity and vertebral rotation in idiopathic scoliosis.

The authors advance the theory that there are two distinct groups of idiopathic scoliosis, of different aetiology and with different potential for development. This is based on the relationship between vertebral rotation and wedge deformity of the vertebral bodies. The rotatory type can be identified, to a statistically significant extent, in the initial phases of thoracic scoliosis. In order to test this hypothesis, we therefore confined our study to cases in which the initial Cobb angle was less than 20 degrees.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

[Indications, technics and results of thoracoscopy].

Indications, materials, technique and contraindications of diagnostic thoracoscopy are described. Examination of 67 thoracoscopies carried out in the past four years shows the technique studied to be the best available diagnostic tool in the field of pleural and peripheral lung diseases: neoplasia, pleuritis and bullous disease. Whether done under narcosis or local anaesthetic, the examination proved to be well tolerated, given the minimum, temporary damage caused to respiratory function. Complications were few and not lethal. A final diagnosis was achieved in the majority of cases. There were a number of false negatives in circumscribed neoplasia localised at points that could not be reached by the instrument, and in cases complicated by pleural adhesions, which prevent correct examination.

Humans↗
PubMed1981

[Anesthesia for pleuroscopy. Importance of intubation with the Carlens tube for a selective diagnosis of emphysematous bullae in primary spontaneous pneumothorax].

A brief account of the origin of spontaneous pneumothorax and the indications for pleuroscopy in thoracopulmonary surgery is followed by an explanation of the advantages of this method in the selective detection of emphysematous bullae, their number and size, and the state of the lung parenchyma. The evaluation of these parameters is essential to the planning of oriented surgery. A general anaesthesia technique employing a Carlens tube in selective intubation is also illustrated. By permitting separate ventilation of the lungs this method allows a selective diagnosis to be made of emphysematous bullae (including microbullae), and prevents all forms of acute respiratory distress.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

[The pancreatico-respiratory syndrome. Problems of intensive therapy and illustration of 5 clinical cases].

A short account of the mechanisms responsible for pleuropulmonary affections in the course of pancreatitis is followed by the presentation of personal cases observed over the previous four years and reference is made to the relatively high frequency of pleuropneumopathy. Lastly, mention is made of the treatment of pancreatitis. Recent criteria lay down that this should be conservative and medico-intensive in the acute stage. Surgery should be left for cases of peritonitic abdomen (exploratory laparotomy) and chronic pancreatitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Intestinal absorption of phosphate: action of protein synthesis inhibitors and glucocorticoids in the rat.

The effect of actinomycin D, cycloheximide and glucocorticoids on the intestinal absorption of phosphate was studied. The effective intestinal absorption of 32P and 47Ca was determined simultaneously in intact rats in vivo using a whole body counter. Both, actinomycin D and cycloheximide caused a significant diminution of the intestinal absorption of phosphate whereas calcium absorption was not altered. Experiments with the in situ ligated loop technique were performed to eliminate the possibility that the action of the protein synthesis inhibitors could be due to an altered intestinal motility effect. Phosphate absorption was also significantly diminished under this condition. On the other hand, the administration of glucocorticoids produced a significant inhibition of phosphate and calcium absorption in the rat in vivo. The reported results indicate that proteins and/or enzymes with a rapid turn-over are involved in the mechanism of phosphate intestinal absorption, and confirm previous observations that phosphate and calcium are transported across the intestine by different mechanisms.

Animals↗