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Biomedical subjects

E Ponte

Publications and source records attributed to E Ponte.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

[Computerized digital thermometry in acrosyndromes. Personal experience].

A diminution of the cutaneous temperature of the fingers and the latter's delayed recovery are constant features in the symptomatological triad of Raynaud's disease (RD). Thermometry is a method which can provide an objective evaluation of this phenomenon. The authors aimed to verify the value of thermometry using a computerised digital thermometer to measure basal temperature, that during cooling to 10 C, and the response. A computerised system with an AVTR interface was utilized using different probes for the 10 fingers and measuring temperature minute by minute up to 25 degrees. A total of 51 subjects were examined: 19 were asymptomatic for acrolocalised pathologies and 32 were symptomatic. No close correlation was observed between clinical and instrumental data. In fact 31.5% of the asymptomatic subjects had a "non-normal" reaction to the test; on the other hand, in the group of female over-50-years-old with symptoms suggesting RD, 44.4% of cases revealed normal instrumental patterns. Therefore no discriminating parameters were identified which might have allowed the instrumental identification of subjects suffering from RD compared to healthy individuals: there was a good level of sensitivity but scarce specificity.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Pancreatic gangliosides delay the onset of insulitis and hyperglycaemia in the low-dose streptozotocin mouse model.

Gangliosides have been shown to modulate autoimmune phenomena in experimental diabetes. The effects of a pancreatic ganglioside preparation or of a commercial brain ganglioside mixture on the insulitis and blood glucose levels in the low-dose streptozotocin mouse model of diabetes have been investigated. Fifty-five C57BL/6J male mice were grouped as follows: Group 1 (n = 20) was injected intraperitoneally with repeated low doses of streptozotocin; Group 2 (n = 10) received streptozotocin as above but was also injected with a pancreatic ganglioside preparation equivalent to 2 micrograms sialic acid 2 h before each streptozotocin dose; Group 3 (n = 15) received streptozotocin and brain-derived gangliosides in the same dose as that of pancreatic gangliosides; Group 4 (n = 10) consisted of normal animals. Half of the mice were killed on day 12 and the others on day 24 from the beginning of treatment. On day 12, among the streptozotocin-injected animals only those treated with pancreatic gangliosides remained normoglycaemic, whereas on day 24 all streptozotocin mice were hyperglycaemic. Such a result paralleled the data pertaining to insulitis scores. In conclusion, pancreatic gangliosides have a short-term protective role on the development of diabetes in the low-dose streptozotocin model, an effect therefore linked to tissue-related differences in the glycosphingolipid composition.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Overt and subclinical hypothyroidism and atherosclerotic arteriopathy of the lower limbs (clinical and subclinical).

Hypothyroidism promotes both significant diastolic hypertension and hypercholesterolemia and, as a consequence, their combination has been suggested to accelerate atherosclerosis. Prevalence of elevated LDL-cholesterol is significantly increased not only in overt hypothyroidism, but also in subclinical hypothyroidism. Serum TSH will be determined in all the patients, as a first line test and only the patients with TSH values over 5 microU/ml will be further investigated: serum T4, FT4 and antimicrosomal and antithyroglobulin antibodies. In the study group were not included severe nonthyroid illness, major depression, untreated Addison's disease and the patients using some drugs that interfere with serum TSH level.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Pravastatin in hypercholesterolemia in the elderly. Increase of the caseload and control of the results with a regional study on the elderly population of the Monfalcone and Grado areas].

The authors confirm--by increasing the ambulatory randomized series in the territories which depend on Monfalcone and Grado (USL 2 Goriziana)--the results of previous studies of lipid improvement owing to the use of pravastatine. The average cholesterolemic rate has decreased of 26.50% in comparison with the initial value, that is from 310.44 +/- 52.587 mg% to 228.16 +/- 28.354 mg%; the addition of each individual rate from 19868 mg% to 14602 mg% (p < 0.001). Within the sample, the elder's undergroup reduced blood cholesterol by 25.76%, that is from 307.69 +/- 42.057 mg% to 228.44 +/- 28.126 mg%, with an addition from 13846 mg% to 10280 mg% (p < 0.001); the adults' undergroup of 28.26%, that is from 316.95 +/- 72.744 mg% to 227.47 +/- 29.654 mg%, with an addition from 6022 mg% to 4322 mg% (p < 0.001). The LDL-lipoprotein value showed a decrease from 30.66% in the average value, which lowered from 206.87 +/- 51.485 to 143.43 +/- 32.940 mg% (relative addition from 13239 mg% to 9179 mg%); in the old patients from 211.45 +/- 52.758 mg% to 143.66 +/- 35.654 mg% (relative addition from 9515 mg% to 6465 mg%), in the adults from 196.01 +/- 47.923 mg% to 142.86 +/- 26.264 mg% (relative addition from 3724 mg% to 2714 mg%. Triglyceridemia fell from 38.37%; the average circulating value fell from 245.13 +/- 348.415 mg% to 151.08 +/- 130.347 mg%; the complete series showed the same average decrease ie from 15688 mg% to 9669 mg%. In the elderly we showed a reduction from 207.87 +/- 250.784 mg% to 149.91 +/- 144.606 mg% (relative addition from 9354 mg% to 6746 mg%), in adults from 333.37 +/- 509.360 mg% to 153.846 +/- 91.321 mg% (relative addition from 6334 mg% to 2923 mg%).

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[The natural history of peripheral arteriopathy].

An the content of atherosclerosis, knowledge of the natural history of peripheral arteriopathy of the lower limbs is of fundamental importance. The authors review the literature involved; in particular they examine the prevalence of peripheral arteriopathy, its incidence and multimodal course in time. It is very interesting to state the cardiovascular morbility and mortality owing to pathology of the coronary district as well as the cerebral one during the course of peripheral arteriopathy. The literature conclusions are not univocal; this matter is principally due to different approach methodologies. As far as arteriopathy of inferior limbs is concerned, the literature shows that we can have a worsening in the local picture for 25% of the cases involved, considering the worst hypothesis; amputation involves at the most 5% of the cases. The real problem in these patients is the presence of arteriosclerotic disease involving other different vascular districts.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1992

Nicotinamide treatment in subjects at high risk of developing IDDM improves insulin secretion.

Nicotinamide (NCT) has been shown to be effective in preventing the onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in mice with non-obese diabetic (NOD) and beta cell damage, mediated by the diabetogenic agents including streptozotocin. NCT therapy in man has been shown to have a beneficial effect on the remission phase of IDDM, and its use is safe. In this open pilot trial we therefore studied the effect of oral NCT administration on insulin secretion rate and islet-cell antibody (ICA) titres in IDDM high risk subjects. NCT (25 mg/10 kg bw) was administered in 6/13 high risk patients identified by a family screening programme. Those subjects tested after eight months without treatment showed a decreasing secretion in comparison to onset baseline (56,1 +/- 37.8 versus 35,5 +/- 12.2), whereas the treated subjects showed an increasing insulin secretion after treatment (26 +/- 10 versus 50.2 +/- 26.6), in spite of ICA persistence. Statistical analysis shows an increased insulin secretion in the treated group versus the untreated group (chi 2 = 3.899, P = 0.048). No side-effects were observed. We conclude that NCT may repair beta-cell function in high risk subjects too if damage is not too severe; furthermore, the effect seems not to be mediated by an immune mechanism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[The electrocardiogram in epidemiology: the Minnesota code].

A correct methodological approach to electrocardiogram interpretation is an important requirement above all as far as epidemiological studies on large case reports are concerned. The Minnesota code represents a pattern of objective classification of the electrocardiogram and it is fit for application to studies on people and consequent statistical analysis. It consists of a series of items which are assembled in nine principal classes, each of them describing with objectivity a figure of the electrocardiogram; moreover it includes several classes for the codification of the electrocardiogram after effort and in sequenced studies. Multiple applications in this sense confirm the validity of this code which gains, in times of automatisation, a new value.

Electrocardiography↗
PubMed1991

[The heart, the elderly, and diabetes mellitus. Epidemiologic study of 333 ambulatory clinical cases].

The paper proposes a new classification to describe the normal senile heart and its pathological forms: "small aortic heart" (nonhypertrophic-dilatative myocardiopathy and its ischemic form) and "large aortic heart" (hypertrophic-dilatative myocardiopathy and its ischemic form). The statistical distribution of 241 elderly patients with diabetes mellitus using this classification was compared to a control group of 92 elderly non-diabetic subjects. The results reveal the significant epidemiological incidence of ischemic cardiopathy with small aortic heart in diabetic patients compared to the control group in which more ischemic hypertrophic-dilatative cardiopathies were present. This observation supports the hypothesis that senile diabetic cardiopathy begins with a metabolic block with reduced contractile energy, and the overlying important ischemic component leads to the development of the small-size clinical phenotype.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

[Diabetic enteropathy].

This review of the literature is designed to identify the state of our knowledge about the ileal, colonic and biliary damage arising in diabetes mellitus. The approach is primarily clinical with the emphasis on the major symptoms involved: diarrhea, constipation and anal sphincter incontinence. The most common symptom, found in 20% of diabetics with neurological disease, is constipation. While the peculiar features of diabetic diarrhea have been well described, there is considerable controversy over its pathogenesis. As for sphincter dysfunction, manometric examinations will already reveal the autonomic neuropathy involved in the early asymptomatic phase. There is considerable debate over the possible involvement of the gallbladder in diabetes mellitus. Some believe that the autonomic neuropathy is involved in the pathogenesis of the lithiasis and helps to mask the pain in cholecystitis as well.

Anal Canal↗
PubMed1989

[The aging heart and its pathology. An epidemiological study of 229 cases based on a clinical and radiological classification].

The paper studies epidemiological distribution of the aging heart and its pathology in a sample of 229 subjects (101 male and 128 female) on the basis of a clinical and radiological classification into cardiological phenotypes. This study involved the use of mathematical statistical procedures following a standard method using SIR database (Scientific Information Retrieval) software implemented on the CDC Cyber 170/730 mainframe in the Trieste University Computing Center that is connected with the Chair of Geriatric Pathology. Using this software it was possible to assess the epidemiological significance of the usual clinical parameters, and show that the most representative cardiopathy is the 3rd type, i.e. the hypertrophic-ischemic cardiopathy belonging to the large aortic heart. Its natural pathogenesis is independent of risk factors and relates to the aging of muscular and connective tissues in which the coronary circulation is involved in the deterioration of the cardiovascular system and is therefore different from the primary ischemias of adults.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

[Clinico-statistical evaluation of the effects of cigarette smoke on the blood vessels of the lower extremities].

The relation between cigarette smoke and cardiovascular disease is well known. Several studies have shown that the adverse effect of carbon monoxide on the vascular endothelium is the most serious of the many factors associated with the damage caused by cigarette smoke. Two groups of patients were examined, one admitted for serious lower-extremity arteriosclerosis, the other composed of out-patients with symptoms referable to possible peripheral pathology. Invasive and non-invasive examinations were used to determine such pathology and relate it with cigarette smoking, in the absence of other greater vascular risk factors. The importance of cigarette smoke as a single vascular risk factor was further substantiated.

Angiography↗
PubMed1980

[Morphology of the microcirculation in a case of perforating planter disease in a diabetic subject].

A clinical example of "diabetic foot" in a male subject with slight diabetes mellitus is described. Typical, serious impairment of the limb was accompanied by a relatively mild dysmetabolic picture. The arterial circulation was functionally and radiologically normal and there was no evidence of gross circulatory damage in other districts, whereas further examination, including biopsies, revealed typical diabetic microangiopathy. In the case of the foot, various concomitant factors, position being by no means the least important, were responsible for ischaemia and its self-maintenance. The poor prognosis and distinctly chronic course were at least partly attributable to early impairment of the microcirculation.

Diabetic Angiopathies↗