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Biomedical subjects

F Alessi

Publications and source records attributed to F Alessi.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Incidence of adverse reactions in HIV patients treated with protease inhibitors: a cohort study. Coordinamento Italiano Studio Allergia e Infezione da HIV (CISAI) Group.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the probability that protease inhibitor (PI) therapy might be discontinued because of adverse events (AE) and to evaluate the incidence rate of adverse reactions during PI treatment. DESIGN: A prospective cohort, multicenter study on HIV-positive patients starting treatment with at least one PI. SETTING: Ten departments of infectious diseases in Northern Italy. PATIENTS: A total of 1207 patients who started PI therapy in September 1997 and were consecutively observed up to April 1999. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adverse reactions following initiation of PI therapy, and time to therapy discontinuation due to AE. RESULTS: During the study period, 35.9% patients presented adverse reactions of any grade, whereas 9.7% presented at least one serious AE. After 12 months of treatment, the percentage of patients who had interrupted treatment was 36% of ritonavir-treated patients, 14.2% of those treated with indinavir, 13.6% of ritonavir-saquinavir hard gel capsules (HGC)-treated patients, and 8.5% and 2.1%, respectively, for those treated with nelfinavir and saquinavir HGC. Women and patients with hepatitis experienced a significantly greater number of adverse events compared with other categories. Gastrointestinal events were more frequently observed in patients treated with either ritonavir alone or in combination with saquinavir HGC, as well as in patients receiving nelfinavir, although in this group serious events were rare. Here again, neurologic, metabolic, and hepatic toxicity occurred more frequently in ritonavir and ritonavir-saquinavir HGC treated patients. Allergic reactions were more often observed in patients receiving nelfinavir. Indinavir-treated patients presented the highest incidence of renal toxicity. CONCLUSION: Ritonavir is the drug associated with the largest number of reactions, which appear during the first few months of treatment. Saquinavir HGC and nelfinavir are the best tolerated drugs in a clinical setting.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors olomoucine and roscovitine arrest human fibroblasts in G1 phase by specific inhibition of CDK2 kinase activity.

The specificity and the temporal location of cell cycle arrest induced by the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors olomoucine and roscovitine were investigated in normal human fibroblasts. Effects on the cell cycle were compared with those induced by the kinase inhibitor staurosporine, which arrests normal cells in early G1 phase by acting upstream of CDK2. Consistent with their in vitro activity, olomoucine and roscovitine, but not the related compound iso-olomoucine, induced a dose-dependent arrest in G1 phase. Following removal of CDK inhibitors, cells resumed cycle progression entering S phase with a kinetics faster than staurosporine-treated samples. Cellular levels of PCNA, cyclin D1, and cyclin E were not affected by the CDK inhibitors. In contrast, staurosporine significantly reduced the levels of these proteins, as determined by immunocytometry and Western blot analysis. Cyclin A was detectable only in some cells remaining in the G2 + M compartment of samples treated with CDK inhibitors, but not in samples treated with staurosporine. Significant reduction in the hyperphosphorylated forms of retinoblastoma protein was found in samples treated with CDK inhibitors, while only hypophosphorylated forms were observed in staurosporine-treated samples. Concomitantly, CDK2, but not CDK4, activity immunoprecipitated from cells treated with olomoucine or roscovitine was markedly inhibited. These results suggest that in normal cells, CDK2 kinase activity is the specific target of olomoucine and roscovitine.

CDC2-CDC28 Kinases↗
PubMed1987

Effect of fenfluramine on growth hormone and prolactin secretion in obese subjects.

Obese subjects show a subnormal growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) release in response to a variety of stimuli. Fenfluramine, an anorexiant drug used in obesity therapy, may have some effects on hypothalamic-pituitary function mediated by serotoninergic stimulation. The present investigation in obese subjects was carried out to study the effects of fenfluramine (60 mg orally) on GH and PRL secretion after intravenous arginine infusion. Ten volunteer obese females were studied and compared with 10 volunteer normal weight controls. In the obese group the GH response to arginine was significantly lower than in control group. Fenfluramine administration restored the subnormal GH response to arginine in obese subjects. The PRL response to arginine in obese women was subnormal. Fenfluramine administration restored the response of PRL to arginine infusion to normal. In conclusion, fenfluramine--under acute circumstances--enhances the hypothalamic-pituitary response to arginine in obese subjects. The decreased GH and PRL output in obese subjects is not due to an absolute hormonal deficiency and this effect of fenfluramine on GH secretion may--due to its lipolysis stimulation--be useful in obesity treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Clinical experience with thymostimulin (TP-1) therapy. Preliminary findings].

In order to verify the immunostimulant effect of thymus humoral factors, a bovine thymic extract (TP 1-Thymostimulin) was given to 9 patients affected by primary immunodeficiency (mild deficit T/B combined) and to 8 patients affected by acquired immunodeficiency because of old age, lung neoplasm or with recurrent herpes simplex labialis. 6 patients affected by chronic hepatitis HBsAg+ and 1 patient affected by Behçet's syndrome were also studied. At the end of the study, after six months, all the patients with primary or acquired immunodeficiency showed a normalization of their immunological parameters and a clinical improvement. A clinical improvement was also observed in the patients affected by lung neoplasm. Instead, patients suffering from chronic active hepatitis HBsAg+ showed unsatisfactory results; the study did not reveal any clinical or immunological improvement in these cases. The patient affected by Behçet's syndrome showed a decreased recurrent uveitis.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1985

[Gastroenterologic aspects of connective tissue diseases].

The connective tissue disorders are a protean group of acquired diseases which have in common widespread immunologic and inflammatory alterations of connective tissue. The acquired connective tissue diseases generally include the following clinical entities: rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, polymyositis, polyarteritis nodosa, scleroderma, mixed connective tissue disease, Sjögren's and Behcet's sindromes. These entities have certain features in common which include sinovitis, pleuritis, myocarditis, endocarditis, pericarditis, peritonitis, vasculitis, myositis, changes in skin, alteration of connective tissue and nephritis. Gastrointestinal and hepatic involvement in connective tissue disorders are not the most important features, nevertheless appear almost regularly. Anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, malabsorption may affect patients suffering by rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and other collagenophaties. In some cases mesenteric vasculitis may cause intestinal ischemia which may result in bowel infarction, mucosal ulceration, hemorrhage, perforation. After an extensive review of the existing literature the Authors make an accurate evaluation of gastrointestinal and hepatic alterations in connective tissue diseases.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Causality relationship of drug adverse reactions: experience in the use of HIV-protease inhibitors].

PURPOSE: To establish the exact cause and effect relationship between protease inhibitors (PIs) and adverse events. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Prospective, cohort, multicenter study on HIV-positive patients who are beginning treatment with a PI. Causal relationships are evaluated using the RUCAM algorithm. RESULTS: Since the beginning of the study 1207 patients have been enrolled. Average time of observation is 10.7 months. To date, 784 adverse events have been observed, distributed as follows: excluded 3.8%, improbable 18.5%, possible 41.3%, probable 30.1%, and highly probable 6.3%. Saquinavir shows a statistically significant difference in the rate of non-correlated events with respect to other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Over 20% of adverse events during PI treatment are shown to be non-correlated to these drugs. Saquinavir shows the highest rate of non-correlated events.

Adult↗