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Biomedical subjects

C Vecchi

Publications and source records attributed to C Vecchi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Plasmapheresis and cytotoxic drugs for mixed cryoglobulinemia.

Fifteen patients with symptomatic cryoglobulinaemia were subjected to apheretic treatment when acute renal insufficiency, glomerulonephritis, severe generalized vasculitis and polyneuropathy unresponsive to conventional therapy or complications due to steroids, such as vertebral collapse, peptic ulcer and steroid diabetes, had appeared. Treatment was performed by discontinuous flow centrifugation or cascade filtration: when discontinuous flow centrifugation was employed, a mixture of saline, gelatin and fresh frozen plasma was used for replacement. Cytotoxic drugs were administered to patients with lymphoma (4 patients) or chronic active hepatitis (5 patients) and also to patients suffering from essential mixed cryoglobulinaemia. Exchanges were organized into courses of 3 to 5 sessions over 5 to 10 days and employed as a supportive measure. No patient underwent long-term treatment. A complete resolution of kidney damage, skin involvement and neurologic signs was observed when treatment was started early in the course of the disease, whereas unequivocal but moderate improvement was obtained in the case of long-lasting symptoms such as polyneuropathy. Relapses were seen in most patients when cytotoxic drugs had been discontinued abruptly. In 8 patients the solubility of cryoglobulins was studied by a recently developed turbidimetric assay. Following treatment the solubility increased; when solubility decreased, 2 patients of this group had a relapse. On the basis of these preliminary observations it appears that the possibility of predicting relapsing disease or the need of continuing therapy can eventually be achieved.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1983

Green light in phototherapy.

Photodegradation of bilirubin in vivo has been investigated by using green fluorescent sources according to the suggestions obtained in a previous study in vitro. Two groups of 50 jaundiced low-birth-weight infants were exposed to fluorescent light in phototherapy units under similar irradiant conditions. One group was exposed for 24 h to standard green tubes, the other, to daylight lamps. Newborns of the two groups were similar for gestational age, birthweight, and initial bilirubin concentration. A greater decrease in the serum concentration of bilirubin was found in subjects exposed to the green light when compared with infants exposed to daylight lamps. The use of green light is strongly suggested instead of the white, blue, and special blue lamps, because of the real efficiency, power and range of wave lengths.

Bilirubin↗
PubMed1981

Laser photolysis of bilirubin.

Photodegradation of bilirubin in vitro has been investigated by using monochromatic light supplied by an argon ion laser selecting the 457.9, 488.0 and 514.5 nm wavelengths. Bilirubin was examined in chloroform, in aqueous solutions and in human serum under different experimental conditions of concentration, laser power and time of irradiance. Photodecomposition was followed by optical density measurements on the absorption maximum of the electronic band at 460 nm. The rate of degradation of bilirubin was found to be only slightly affected by the wavelength of the exciting lines provided they fall within the absorption band. In particular it was shown that any wavelength, lambda, is equally effective if the corresponding absorbance, A lambda, exceeds a minimum value of 5-10%. In the aqueous solutions, light with lambda greater than 470 nm has been found to be largely effective in the photodegradation of bilirubin in vitro.

Bilirubin↗
PubMed1981

[Clinical usefulness of thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy with dipyridamole pharmacodynamic test in ischemic heart disease (author's transl)].

A clinical evaluation of the dipyridamole in the myocardial perfusional scintigraphy (MPS) was carried out in a series of patients, comprehensive of cases of unstable angina, aiming to assess the feasibility and diagnostic validity of the test and to state its possible role in comparison with exercise stress test. On the whole, 107 subjects were examined (34 with stable angina, 23 with unstable angina, 19 with recent myocardial infarction, 15 with atypical angina, 10 with chest pain of uncertain origin and 6 healthy volunteers), performing 108 scintigraphic studies (48 after dipyridamole infusion and 37 after bicycle exercise). In the studies with physical or pharmacologic stress a redistribution scintigraphy was also performed (4 hour after the injection). The dipyridamole stress test was well tolerated by patients with unstable angina too and showed a diagnostic sensitivity equivalent to that with exercise stress, although the latter appears better as regards image quality and can give an increase of sensitivity provided electrocardiographic findings are evaluated. Post-stress redistribution of 201 Tl in delayed scans was shown either after dipyridamole or after exercise in patients with typical angina without prior infarction. The computation, by the Bayes's theorem, of the predictive value of the two tests leads the Authors to the following conclusions: in atypical angina (prevalence of CAD: about 40%) the association MPS + exercise ECG is preferable; in patients with chest pain of uncertain origin or with asymptomatic electrocardiographic alterations (prevalence of CAD: about 15%) it is better to take into account only the scintigraphic findings obtained after exercise or pharmacologic stress, to avoid an excess of false positive results.

Angina Pectoris↗
PubMed1981

[Chromium and diabetes. Relationships to serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoproteins].

The authors examined 91 adult diabetic subjects to evidence any possible correlation between the levels of serum chromium and those of cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoprotein. The calculation of Bravais Galton's correlation coefficient did not reveal any correlation between these parameters. However the authors confirmed that the levels of serum chromium in adult diabetic subjects were significantly lower than in normal subjects, although there was no correlation between rate of glycemia and chromium.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

[Iron, copper, and zinc in children from Tanzania afflicted with protein-calorie malnutrition].

Atomic absorption spectrophotometry was employed in an evaluation of zinc, copper and iron as trace elements in serum and erythrocytes from 56 children with protein-calorie malnutrition at different stages (early kwashiorkor, kwashiorkor and marasma). Iron and zinc concentrations showed a decreasing pattern through the various stages of the P.C.M. Significant changes are present in zinc values. The role of these trace elements in the P.C.M. is shortly discussed.

Child↗
PubMed1979

[The trace elements iron, copper and zinc in Tanzanian women during pregnancy. Comparative study with a group of Italians].

Atomic absorption spectrophotometry was employed in an evaluation of zinc, copper and iron of 57 Tanzanian women during the various phases of pregnancy, till the delivery. The result are compared with those found in a group of Italian women of same age during the same periods of pregnancy. No significant statistic differences seem to exist between the two groups.

Copper↗