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Biomedical subjects

D Torre

Publications and source records attributed to D Torre.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Local and general treatment with ceftazidime as monotherapy in central nervous system infections and in septicemic infection.

Twenty-three patients (mean age: 47 years; range: 4 months to 79 years) admitted to Varese Regional Hospital over the period from October 1983 to March 1984 and suffering from severe infections of a septicemic nature were treated with ceftazidime. All patients had previously received other broad-spectrum antibacterial agents. Isolation of causative pathogens and evaluation of their susceptibility to ceftazidime justified use of the drug as monotherapy. Ceftazidime was administered intravenously at the mean dose of 60-120 mg/kg/day. In some cases, it was injected directly into the renal parenchyma (2 g/day) or into the cerebral ventricles (1 mg/kg/day). Local and systemic tolerance were optimal in all cases, no significant side effects being observed. Eradication of pathogens was excellent and clinical outcome satisfactory in all patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Subgrouping of human rotavirus strains by complement fixation, indirect double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and solid-phase immune electron microscopy.

Complement fixation (CF), indirect double-antibody sandwich (DAS) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and solid-phase immune electron microscopy (SPIEM) were compared for their ability to subgroup 73 human rotavirus (HRV) strains from infants and young children with gastroenteritis admitted to one or the other of two different hospitals of Northern Italy. By both indirect DAS ELISA and SPIEM all 73 HRV strains were classified into one or the other of two subgroups. By CF only 67 strains could be subgrouped, as six HRV-positive stools showed anticomplementary activity which could not be eliminated. Indirect DAS ELISA required subgroup-specific, unabsorbed antisera from two different animal species. For SPIEM two antisera from a single animal species were needed, but they had to be absorbed with single-shelled bovine rotavirus for HRV subgrouping to be reliable. Indirect DAS ELISA appeared to be the technique most suitable for extensive application in epidemiological studies of HRV infections by different subgroups. However, SPIEM allowed rapid subgrouping of HRV in stool specimens showing anticomplementary activity in the CF test or non-specific reactions in the ELISA test. In one area of Northern Italy the prevalence of subgroup I HRV infections was 7.8 per cent, while in another it reached 68.1 per cent in the same period.

Antigens, Viral↗
PubMed1984

Coronaviruses and gastroenteritis: evidence of antigenic relatedness between human enteric coronavirus strains and human coronavirus OC43.

A peculiar pattern of antibody response to human coronavirus (HCV) OC43 and neonatal calf diarrhea coronavirus (NCDCV) was observed in a significantly higher proportion of children with gastroenteritis (GE) than controls. It was directed only to OC43 surface antigens and appeared to be quite different form that observed in OC43 respiratory infections, in which an antibody response to both OC43 and NCDCV surface and internal antigens was found. Subsequently, fecal excretion of CV-like particles was detected by electron microscopy in a significantly higher proportion of infants and young children with acute GE as compared to controls. Immune electron microscopy showed a two-way cross-reactivity between HCV OC43 and human enteric coronavirus (HECV), both using immune sera (raised in animals immunized with HECV strains purified from stools of two patients) and patients' convalescent sera. These data show that HECVs are antigenically related to HCV OC43 and could be somewhat involved in the etiology of GE in infants and young children.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1984

Comparative clinical study of josamycin and erythromycin in pertussis.

Forty children with pertussis were treated in a randomized trial with josamycin or erythromycin. The pathogen was isolated in 15 cases by immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) technique. The clinical response of both groups was good and comparable. A 15-day course of therapy was able to eradicate the pathogen in all but one patient. Three patients showed minor side effects: diarrhea (2), rash (1).

Bordetella pertussis↗
PubMed1984

Diagnosis of acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis by rotavirus detection and serology.

In 127 infants and young children suffering from acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis, diagnosis of rotavirus infection was done by virus detection and serology. Human rotavirus (HRV) detection was performed by direct electron microscopy (EM), conventional immune electron microscopy (IEM) and/or solid phase immune electron microscopy ( SPIEM ); rotavirus antigens were detected by indirect double-antibody sandwich (DAS) ELISA and HRV isolation was attempted in MA-104 or LLC-MK2 cell cultures. HRV serology was done on paired sera from all the patients by the indirect immunoperoxidase antibody (IPA) technique for HRV IgG determination, and by an indirect ELISA method using a purified HRV Wa strain as a solid phase. HRV particles were detected by EM and/or IEM in 53 cases (41.7%) and by SPIEM in 5 additional cases; HRV antigens were demonstrated by indirect DAS ELISA in the same 53 cases, whereas 40 cases (31.4%) were positive for HRV isolation in cell cultures. Sixty-four patients (50.3%) seroconverted by IPA and ELISA, including all the cases (58) positive for rotavirus detection in stools and 6 additional cases. Thus, SPIEM appears to be the most sensitive technique for detecting a few virus particles in stool specimens, but HRV serology is the most sensitive method for diagnosing HRV infections retrospectively, when paired sera are drawn at an appropriate time. However, EM possess the great advantage of detecting in fecal specimens viral agents other than rotaviruses, such as adenoviruses, enteric coronaviruses, small round viruses, astroviruses and others.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1983

Depth dose in cryosurgery.

Depth dose can be estimated by instrumental or clinical methods. The physician learning to treat lesions is advised to use both methods together until confidence in techniques is gained. With experience clinical methods can be used confidently with benign lesions and basal-cell carcinomas in the upper 3 mm of skin. Instrumental supplemental monitoring should be used with malignant lesions capable of metastasis, basal-cell carcinomas deeper than 3 mm, and in treating any lesion in a location where extreme accuracy of depth dose evaluation is advantageous.

Basal Cell Carcinoma↗
PubMed1983

Study on the control of hepatitis B virus infection in an institution for the mentally retarded.

This study is a longitudinal epidemiologic survey (January 1980--December 1982) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers in an institution for subnormal people (62 patients--25 mentally retarded, 15 suffering from epilepsy, 15 from Down's syndrome, 7 from other diseases--and 23 nuns), in order to assess the prevalence and incidence of hepatitis B and the annual rate of seroconversion for HBV markers and to verify the efficacy of hygienic and prophylactic measures, that we adopted. Our data confirmed the efficacy of these measures, showing a significant decrease of HBsAg positive subjects and a parallel significant positivization of HBsAb positive subjects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Post-varicella acute transverse myelitis.

This report of a case of acute transverse myelitis, after otherwise uneventful varicella, further stresses the importance that the possibility of this relatively rare complication should be kept in mind in patients developing a paraplegic syndrome late in the course of the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Understanding the relationship between lateral spread of freeze and depth of freeze.

The predictable relationship between lateral spread of freeze and depth of freeze is a keystone concept in the clinical evaluation of "depth dose" of cryosurgical procedures. This relationship can be readily determined and understood by carrying out simple experiments using potato models and checked directly by measurements on patients. When using specialized treatment methods such as the "cone-spray" technique with liquid nitrogen, it is necessary to limit the technique to properly selected cases and to spray the treated surfaces evenly if the predictable ratio of depth of freeze to lateral spread of freeze is to be used.

Animals↗