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Biomedical subjects

E Granieri

Publications and source records attributed to E Granieri.

101 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1978

The geographical distribution of multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic heart disease and poststreptococcal nephritis in Sardinia: climatic and socioeconomic factors.

The comparative geography of multiple sclerosis (MS) and nonneurological diseases considered to be autoimmune is of great interest. But there are few appropriate investigations. Some have found an increase in the frequency of MS, rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatic heart disease depending on the geographic latitude. Nevertheless, the significance of the latitude effect as an indicator of a possible etiological relationship between MS and these conditions has been questioned. In this paper, the frequency of MS, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic heart disease and poststreptococcal nephritis is reported from Sardinia where appreciable differences in climatic and socioeconomic conditions exist. There was a positive correlation of the distribution of MS with the distribution of rheumatic heart disease and poststreptococcal nephritis. On the other hand, no correlation was found with the distribution of rheumatoid arthritis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Studies on epidemiological, clinical, and etiological aspects of ALS disease in Sardinia, Southern Italy.

This investigation was conducted to clarify the epidemiology of ALS disease in Sardinia. During the years 1965-1974, the average annual incidence was found to be 0.64/100,000 inhabitants. On prevalence day, October 24th, 1974, the prevalence rate was 1.56/100,000 inhabitants. A significant male predominance was found, the average annual incidence rates for men and women being 0.88 and 0.40, respectively. The peak in both sexes was reached between 60 and 69 years. ALS distribution in the study area was uniform but its occurrence was significantly higher among agricultural workers (5.28/100,000). ALS started on average at 56.58 years and its duration was 2.5 years, being significantly longer in patients under 40-years-old. The distribution of the various clinical forms was: 66 per cent conventional forms, 20 percent bulbar and 14 per cent pseudo-polyneuritic. In the bulbar type, a female predominance was found. About 96 percent of cases were sporadic and 4 per cent familial. Familial cases presented no difference from sporadic cases. Trauma was present in 10.5 percent of the cases and gastrointestinal disfunction in 13 per cent. This probably reflects some relationship between trauma and ALS, and between malnutrition and ALS. No combination of ALS, dementia and parkinsonism was observed. Dementia was associated with ALS in four cases and Parkinson's disease in one case, separately. The combination of other disease states with ALS in the present study may be simple coincidence.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

HLA antigens and multiple sclerosis in the Province of Ferrara, northern-Italy: a community-based study.

The association between Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and DR2 HLA antigen is well known in Caucasoids. In the past few years a significant correlation has been found between DQwl and MS in North-East Scotland and in several other countries. In previous HLA studies in Italian MS patients, a lack of any association or an increased frequency of DR2 have been observed; however, the results of most Italian surveys derive from heterogeneous sample of affected individuals. This study was carried out in a homogeneous population of patients living in and originating from the province of Ferrara, Northern-Italy. Among the prevalence cases, 116, indigenous, unrelated patients, were typed for HLA-A-B, -DR and DQ antigens. The comparisons with 185 healthy individuals, originating from the same area, revealed an increased prevalence of DR2 antigen in Ferrara MS patients. This antigen does not appear to be related to the clinical variables of the disease.

Female↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The combined use of instrumental and laboratory examinations in multiple sclerosis: is the diagnostic facilitation real?].

Spatial-temporal dissemination of neurological signs is an essential criterion for establishing a definite diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Unfortunately, we often observe patients who present a history consistent with MS but without objectivity indicating the presence of at least two or more distinct lesions of Central Nervous System (CNS). In recent years, many Authors have emphasized the use of Multimodal Evoked Responses (MER), Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) analysis for the research of Oligoclonal Bands (OB), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as highly sensitive techniques for demonstrating the spreading of the lesions. This study, carried out to evaluate whether the combined use of these three methods would increase the diagnostic MS sensitivity, comprises 62 patients classified in Definite (n = 24). Probable (n = 18) and Possible (n = 20) MS according to the clinical criteria of McAlpine. All our cases fulfilled a complete ER evaluation (VER, SER, BAER), a paired CSF and serum Isoelectric focusing (IEF) and a cerebral MRI. Moreover, IgG Index was also estimated. CSF IEF was the most sensitive test in Definite (91.7%) and Possible (80.0%) MS, nearly followed by MRI (87.5% and 45.0% respectively). VER (87.5% and 60.0%) and SER (87.5% and 65.0%). On the contrary, MRI showed the higher sensitivity in Probable MS (94.4%). The course of the disease influenced only SER and VER in all diagnostic group, while the duration correlated positively with BAER and VER. Only VER and BAER, finally, supplied additional information about the not revealed clinically or by MRI CNS disorders. Thus, our data further emphasize the value of combining these laboratory tests for establishing an early and more accurate diagnosis of MS.

Brain↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Huntington chorea in the province of Ferrara from 1971 to 1987. Descriptive study].

In the context of a multidisciplinary study program whose purpose is to investigate the genetic aspects of Huntington's Chorea (HC), the authors conducted an epidemiological descriptive research extended to the population residing in the province of Ferrara in a time period including the years from 1971 to 1987. On December 31st, 1987 we estimated a prevalence rate of 1.89 cases of HC per 100,000 inhabitants; in the years 1971-1987 the incidence rate was of 0.11 per 100,000/year and the mortality rate of 0.06 per 100,000/year. In the last years considered for the study, the incidence and the prevalence showed a relative increase indicating that HC still exists in the ferrarese population, despite a greater public awareness. With the aim to organize preventive actions and to reach the preclinical diagnosis of the disease we singled out 83 subjects at risk the study area.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Epidemiology of epilepsy in the U.S.L. 34, Copparo, Emilia-Romagna].

Incidence and prevalence investigations on childhood epilepsy, throughout the world, have suggested wide variations in the frequency of convulsive disorders. Also the few studies presently available from Italy mirror such a disagreement. However, these studies cannot be completely comparable owing to a marked methodological dishomogeneity in definition of epilepsy, classification of seizures, and ascertainment, collection, and selection of the cases. Therefore, to verify the true frequency of childhood epilepsy in our country, we performed an epidemiologic study of convulsive disorders in 0-14 age children of the U.S.L. 34 (Copparo, Northern Italy). The prevalence per 1.000 children on October 24, 1981 was 6.14 (6.4 if standardized to the Italian population). The average annual incidence for the period 1964 through 1980 was 95.1 per 100,000 (98.9 if standardized). These results, similar to those found in other Western countries, support the view that the frequency of childhood epilepsy in Italy as a whole is higher than that indicated by previously published Italian studies and furthermore suggest that epilepsy is evenly distributed in Europe and the United States. Antecedents which could be considered potential causes of seizures were found in 40.2% and 43.6% of the incidence and prevalence cases, respectively; for both groups, perinatal brain injuries were the most frequent event. These results point out the urgency of planning precautionary measures in Italy to improve prenatal and perinatal medical care.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The distribution of multiple sclerosis in Sardinia.

The incidence of M.S. in Sardinia has been found to be the highest in Southern Italy. On "prevalence day", October 21st, 1971, the incidence was 12.48/100,000 inhabitants, whereas the rates in Campania and in Puglia, (regions of Southern Italy at the same latitude as Sardinia) the rates were 3.3 and 4.0 respectively. In the present study, a significant female predominance was found, the rates for women and men being 15.88 and 9.03 respectively. The incidence of MS in the study area was found to be significantly higher both in areas with a cool humid climate and in communities with the lowest socioeconomic conditions. A significantly higher incidence was computed for communities with less than 5,000 inhabitants. MS incidence had no correlation with the occupational status and dietary habits, which are uniformly distributed throughout the island. The disease started at au average of 27.3 years and its duration on "prevalence day" was 13.4 years. The age of onset was found to be low in comparison with other population studies in Europe and in North-Central Italy. The age-specific curves of onset and on "prevalence day" showed two peaks, one in the second-third decade and one in the forth-fifth decade. Most of the patients with an earlier onset showed a complete disappearance of the symptoms after the first bout.

Adolescent↗