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Biomedical subjects

C Letizia

Publications and source records attributed to C Letizia.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

[Circadian rhythm of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in subjects with kidney and heart transplants].

The present investigation evaluates the circadian rhythm of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in subjects with kidney (KTS) or heart (HTS) transplantation undergoing conventional therapy with prednisone and cyclosporine. RAAS circadian rhythmicity has been compared with the circadian cycle of cortisol as a marker rhythm. The chronobiological exploration has been performed by measuring the circulating levels of plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone (PA), and serum angiotensin-converting-enzyme (SACE) and plasma cortisol (PC) in serial samplings collected six times over a 24-h span. Time-qualified levels of plasma cyclosporine (CYCL) have been established. The control group consisted of 10 normal subjects matching in age and sex. Individual data series were analysed by the Cosinor method. The chronobiometric estimates demonstrate the lack of a circadian rhythmicity for PRA, PA and SACE in KTS and HTS. The PC circadian rhythm is demonstrable in KTS, but not in HTS. The abolition of the RAAS circadian rhythm in both KTS and HTS seems to be attributable to the effects exerted by CYCL. The disappearance of the PC circadian rhythm may be due to the prednisone therapy that is administered twice a day in HTS but not in KTS. The asynchronous effects of this drug lead us to suggest that antirejection therapy may be optimized by administering prednisone and cyclosporine according to a chronomodulated scheme.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Haemodynamic and metabolic effects of ketanserin in dyslipidaemic hypertensive subjects.

Eighteen dyslipidaemic patients affected with moderate hypertension were studied before and after short-term treatment with ketanserin (40 mg/die) on hypocaloric (22-25 kcal/kg/die) and normosodic-normopotassic diet. Student's t test applied to the determinations revealed a significant reduction of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, p less than 0.001, DBP p less than 0.001), total cholesterol (p less than 0.001) and triglycerides (p less than 0.006). The results suggest that ketanserin is an effective hypotensive drug and its association with a hypocaloric diet promotes a decrease in plasma lipids.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity in pre-eclamptic pregnancy: evidence for a relative hypermesorACEemia.

The circadian rhythm of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity was investigated in pregnant women with normal and pre-eclamptic gestation. The chronobiological approach was able to document the occurrence of a circadian rhythm for serum ACE activity in normal pregnancy. Such a rhythm is characterized by a decreased mesor and amplitude and a shifted crest. The circadian rhythm for serum ACE activity was not detectable in pre-eclamptic pregnancy. Such an abrogation is accompanied by a negligible decrease of mesor suggesting the occurrence of a relative hyperACEemia. This disorder could play a role in pregnancy-induced hypertension.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Treatment with deflazacort associated with a thyrostatic therapy in a case of juvenile Basedow's ophthalmopathy. Clinical and hematochemical evaluation of therapeutic results].

In this brief report we describe a case of juvenile Basedow disease associated which exophthalmus and treated with deflazacort and methimazole on the basis of its immune origin (as confirmed by the presence of high levels of antimicrosomal antibodies). After only two months of therapy, we already noted a definite reduction of the exophthalmus and normalization of the thyroid hormone parameters with disappearance of the antimicrosomal antibodies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

The circadian rhythm of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme is disrupted in ascitic liver cirrhosis.

An increase in morning fasting levels of plasma (P) renin activity (RA), aldosterone (A) and serum (S) angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity has been demonstrated in ascitic cirrhotic patients (ACP). Since both PRA and PA change biorhythmically in their time structure, the relationship of SACE activity with the components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) was investigated in clinically healthy subjects (CHS) and ACP. Time-qualified data were chronobiologically analysed by means of the cosinor procedure to resolve and quantify the circadian rhythm (CR). The 24-hour mean levels of PRA, PA and SACE activity were found to be elevated in ACP as compared to CHS. The temporal variability of these analytes was found to be of periodic type along the 24-hour span in CHS, but not in ACP. The well-organized cyclicity in CHS is of relevant interest. PRA and PA cycles were found to phase in a clear antiparallelism with the SACE activity CR. The phase opposition may be, speculatively, related to the physiologic nature of ACE, whose activity is devoted to generate angiotensin II. The disappearance of SACE activity CR in ACP is in accordance with the abolition of PRA and PA cyclicity and suggests a role of liver in regulating the periodic time function of the RAAS and related components.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Chronobiological evidence for an uncoupling of the Na,K-ATPase to aldosterone in normal renin hypertension.

The Na,K-ATPase activity of erythrocyte membranes is markedly increased in normal-renin essential hypertensives. A temporal shift of the chronobiology of the erythrocyte-membrane-bound Na,K-ATPase in these patients is described. The disorder causes a loss of synchronism between the circadian rhythms of aldosterone and Na,K-ATPase. Such uncoupling phenomenon may explain the inversion of the day/night sodium excretion ratio and other disturbances of sodium metabolism found in essential hypertensives.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

[24-hour behavior of T-lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with stable heart transplants receiving cyclosporin therapy].

In 10 heart transplanted subjects (HTS) undergoing conventional immunosuppressive cyclosporine therapy, in comparison with 10 normal subjects, the 24 hour patterns of T lymphocyte subpopulations, namely, OKT3 (total T lymphocytes), OKT4 (helper lymphocytes) and OKT8 (cytotoxic or suppressor) in relation to the circadian rhythms for plasma cortisol (marker rhythm) and to circulating levels of cyclosporine were studied. From the collected data, it can be deduced that the OKT3, OKT4, OKT8 subpopulations and the plasma cortisol level show 24-hour non-periodic variations. The lymphocyte subpopulations show a negative correlation with circulating levels of cyclosporine. The negative correlation is "selective" and "delayed" in that it is detectable at particular and non-coinciding hours. Plasma cortisol is also negatively correlated to plasma cyclosporine. Assessing the meaning of the lack of a circadian rhythm of the lymphocyte subpopulation in HTS undergoing conventional cyclosporine therapy, and taking into account the pharmacological time-stage dependency, we can emphasize the idea that the optimization of anti-rejection therapy with cyclosporine may and should be performed as a time-modulated treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Changes in the levels of ACTH and cortisol after passive exposure to cigarette smoke in smokers and non-smokers].

Plasma ACTH and cortisol levels were studied in smokers and non smokers, (exposed or not to smoke of the environment), after passive exposure to cigarette smoking. Non smokers, usually not exposed to smoke, show a rise in both hormones, whereas smokers and non smokers commonly exposed to smoke don't show any change in ACTH and cortisol levels. These data suggest that nicotine acts as an acute stimulus on the hypophysis-adrenal axis even passively inhaled.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1989

[Oral administration of nicotine and plasma levels of ACTH and cortisol in smokers and non-smokers].

Plasma ACTH and cortisol levels after oral administration of nicotine (chewing gum containing nicotine 2 mg) in short and long time (10 and 45 min) were studied in smokers and non smokers. Non smokers after short time administration showed significant rise in ACTH and cortisol. No modifications were seen in the other groups of subjects. These data confirm that nicotine stimulates hypophysis-adrenal axis in non smokers and that this effect is connected with nicotine contents of cigarettes rather than other volatile substances.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1989

[Cutaneo-cerebral bullous syndrome in patients with type II diabetes mellitus].

This study deals with a case of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus complicated by a diffuse giant vesicular dermatosis in combination with an irreversible coma caused by encephalopathy with hypodense areas on the CT scan. The coma, unlike the known diabetic comas and unrelated to infectious, toxic and cerebrovascular noxae, was interpreted as due to bullous lesions of the brain comparable to the cutaneous vesicles.

Brain Diseases↗
PubMed1988

Blood pressure monitoring from a biostatistical and clinical viewpoint for predicting fetal distress in preeclamptic pregnancy.

With technological progress, blood pressure monitoring has become a procedure largely applied in medical practice but not adequately systematized under a biostatistical viewpoint. This paper shows the complexity and importance of the biomathematical approach and its clinical implications in preeclamptic pregnancy. Data series were analyzed by means of noninferential and inferential procedures of biostatistics. A progressive gain of information is obtained, the inferential procedures showing an analytical resolution able to discriminate fetal distress in preeclamptic pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Increased serum aldosterone in diabetic pregnancy.

Serum levels of aldosterone and cortisol were measured by radioimmunoassay in 15 patients with gestational diabetes, in 18 patients with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes, in 36 pregnant control women and in 10 non-pregnant control women. All subjects, on habitual sodium and potassium intake, were sampled in a supine position at 09.00 hours. Pregnant women were examined twice, during gestational week 32-34 and at delivery. Serum levels of aldosterone and cortisol were also measured in the umbilical cord blood of newborn babies of these diabetic and non-diabetic mothers. Serum levels of aldosterone in both gestational and Type 1 pregnant diabetic women were found to be consistently above the reference values of non-diabetic pregnant women. Abnormal serum levels of aldosterone were also observed in newborn infants of diabetic mothers. In contrast, serum levels of cortisol were not increased.

Adult↗