Biomedical subjects

E Lombardi

Publications and source records attributed to E Lombardi.

43 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related risk-taking behaviors in women attending inner-city prenatal clinics in the mid-west.

OBJECTIVE: Federal guidelines recommend the provision of human immunodeficiency virus education to all attendees of prenatal clinics. The current study was conducted to assess risk-taking behaviors among urban women voluntarily pursuing prenatal care. DESIGN AND SETTING: African American women attending urban prenatal clinics in Cleveland, Ohio were subjected to an extensive interview before receiving an experimental AIDS education curriculum. The interview sought detailed information regarding demographics, lifetime and recent sexual activity, condom use, and lifetime and recent illicit drug use. RESULTS: A total of 1017 women were interviewed; of those women, approximately 73% were single. The majority had a monthly income of less than $500. A total of 66% had only one partner in the past year, and almost 90% had < or = 1 partner in the past 6 months. A total of 98% identified a main partner. Nearly all subjects were at least fairly certain that this partner did not use intravenous drugs, and 71% were at least fairly certain that he was monogamous. Only 19% used condoms most or all the time. Intravenous drug use among study subjects was very infrequent. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that inner-city Cleveland women seeking prenatal care are largely monogamous around the time of their gestation, and that a history of intravenous drug use is infrequent. They suggest that prenatal counseling in urban clinics will need to address women who largely are engaged in single-partner relationships at the time of the intervention.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Cross-reactivity between IgE-binding proteins from Anisakis simplex and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus.

An association was found between Anisakis simplex (As) and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp) sensitization. One recent study shows a cross-reactivity between As and Dp and tropomyosin (tr)is suspected as being one of the proteins responsible of this cross-reaction. The aim of our study was: 1) to confirm the cross-reactivity between Dp and As; 2) to determine the importance of tr in this cross reaction. SDS-PAGE analysis of Dp and As (metabolic and somatic) extracts was carried out. Then an IgE immunoblotting test using serum from a patient who had specific IgE only to Dp and As and immunoblotting inhibition experiments using Dp extract and tr as inhibitors were performed. We found that patients serum reacted: 1) against larval As antigens with a molecular weight (mw) of 25 kilodalton (kD) and a mw > than 100 kD, 2) against various metabolic As antigens with a mw > than 100 kD, a mw ranging approximately from 35 to 50 kD, and a mw around 20 kD, and 3) against Dp proteins with mw between 35 and 55 kD. Preincubation of patient's serum with Dp extract caused the disappearance of reactivity against antigens with a mw > than 100 kD in both larval and metabolic As extracts and against proteins with mw ranging approximately from 35 to 50 kD in the metabolic As extract. Preincubation of patients serum with As extract caused the disappearance of reactivity against antigens with mw between 35 and 55 kD in the Dp extract. Pre-incubation of patients serum with tr did not induce any change in the immunoblotting profile. The results show that 1) cross-reactive components between Dp and As are some proteins with a mw ranging approximately from 35 to 50 kD and with a mw > than 100 kD, and 2) tr is not involved in cross-reactivity between As and Dp.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Pseudoallergies].

Pseudo-allergic-reactions (PAR) are clinical manifestations including urticaria, angioedema, conjunctivitis, rhinitis, asthma, and anaphylaxis. The prevalence of PAR ranges from 0.1% to 75% according to various studies. The pathogenetic mechanism of these diseases is not immunologically mediated. Food, additives, and drugs are the main responsibilities for PAR. The diagnosis of PAR is characterized by the absence of specific IgE for the suspected products. The absence of immunological mechanisms is confirmed by in vitro and in vivo tests. The treatment of PAR is similar to that of allergic diseases (antihistamine drugs, steroids, B2 agonists, epinephrine).

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The microbiological exam of the urine: what significance in urinary tract infections?].

11,829 urine cultures, coming from the Pediatrics Department of Florence and other hospital divisions for adults in the period 1st of July-31st of December 1990, have been examined in the Bacteriology and Virology Laboratory of the University Hospital of Florence. Besides illustrating various methods of drawing, preservation and transport of the urinary specimen, the authors showed the incidence of bacterial species responsible of urinary tract infections (U.T.I.). E. coli was showed to be the most frequently isolated bacterial strain, followed by Streptococcus faecalis and Proteus indole negative. The incidence of fimbriated E. coli infections was studied in pediatric and adult patients with urinary tract infections; a higher isolation frequency of fimbriated E. coli was showed in pediatric patients and in these patients the correlation was studied between the presence of fimbriated E. coli and the severity of infection (pyelonephritis, recurrent U.T.I.). The percentages of resistance of the isolated strains against the most common chemotherapies was also showed, studying their variations, for some chemotherapies, during about twenty years.

Bacteria↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Factors associated with postoperative mortality following gastric adenocarcinoma surgery at the Edgardo Rebagliati Martins Hospital].

OBJECTIVES: This study is a retrospective, descriptive and observational evaluation aimed at defining the factors associated with postoperative mortality due to gastric adenocarcinoma and evaluating postoperative morbidity at the Edgardo Rebagliati Martins Hospital. METHODS: The study included 282 patients, which had undergone surgery between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 1999 and the evaluation involved filiation, background, tumor location, Bormann and Early Cancer classifications, histological classification, number of resected lymphatic nodes, extragastric compromise, type of surgery and reconstruction, TNM classification, clinical stage and medical and surgical complications. RESULTS: Patients were divided in two groups: Survivors (n=251) and deceased (n=31) evidencing 31.56% morbidity and 10.99% mortality. The factors associated with mortality were: age, hypertension (AHT), cardiopathy, tumor location in the stomach, extragastric compromise of the liver, T3 and T4 tumors, N1, distant metastases, clinical stage IV, pneumonia and other surgical complications. CONCLUSIONS: These results lead us to conclude that proper preoperative staging of the disease is necessary and so is special care with patients suffering of hypertension, diabetes and cardiopathy.Finally, we consider it pertinent to bear in mind the postoperative complications, for proper management of them.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Host-microorganism interactions in urinary infections in children].

The authors examine the factors which induce urinary tract infections (U.T.I.) in child, considering especially the mechanisms which operate in the microorganism-host relation. Besides, the last acquisitions about clinical pediatric urology are specified. The Author dwells upon the discovery and study of P-fimbriated Escherichia coli, which seems ascertained to be responsible of upper urinary tract infections and which can be identified in Laboratories thanks to the existence of kits prepared for this purpose. With reference to this subject, the Authors report a personal experience about 12 pediatric patients in whose urine P-fimbriated E.coli strains were identified; in these patients the correlation is studied between the presence of P-fimbriated E.coli and the severity of infection (pyelonephritis, recurrent U.T.I.).

Bacterial Adhesion↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Incidence of exercise-induced bronchospasm (E.I.B.) and its correlation with clinical history in children with allergic asthma].

In this study, 65 allergic asthmatic children were evaluated for the presence of exercise induced bronchospasm (E.I.B.). Pulmonary function (volume at 1 second of forced expiration--FEV1; maximal mid-expiratory flow--FEF 25-75; peak expiratory flow--PEF) was assessed before and serially for 20' following treadmill exercise. Only 18 children (27.6%) presented a fall in FEV1 > or = 20%. There was a relationship between severity of asthma and incidence of E.I.B., as children with episodic, frequent and chronic asthma presented respectively 13/55 (23.4%), 2/6 (33.3%) and 3/4 (75%) of positive responses. The presence of E.I.B. cannot be predicted by clinical history, as 15/36 (41.7%) of subjects with positive clinical history had E.I.B., against 3/29 (10.3%) of subjects with negative clinical history (p = n.s.). E.I.B. in asthmatic children is less frequent as reported, correlates with severity of asthma and cannot be accurately predicted from the history.

Adolescent↗