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Biomedical subjects

F Balzola

Publications and source records attributed to F Balzola.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

[The nutritional aspects in autologous bone marrow transplantation].

The use of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in bone marrow transplant recipients is well recognized. These patients, as a result of treatment with chemotherapy and immunosuppressive agents, undergo catabolic stress. In stressed patients attention has been focused on the optimal calorie: nitrogen ratio of total parenteral nutrition formulations. Theoretically, TPN formulas of low calorie: nitrogen ratio impede body protein catabolism. In bone marrow transplant patients negative nitrogen balance may persist despite high nitrogen intake. The purpose of the present study is to determine the effect of increasing nitrogen intake on nutritional and metabolic parameters in bone marrow transplant patients. The metabolic effect of an increased nitrogen dose during TPN was studied in 33 bone marrow transplant patients, divided into 2 groups. Patients were given total parenteral nutrition formulas providing a protein intake of 1.4 +/- 0.2 g of protein/kg IBW/day for the first group, and 2.3 +/- 0.12 g of protein/kg IBW/day for the II group. Total calories, non protein and protein, were held constant at 40 kcal/kg IBW/day for all patients. Data have been calculated for 4 weeks starting from the first week pretransplant. As we had expected, the patients who are the object of the present study were well nourished at the time of hospital admission, confirming the description of bone marrow transplant recipients published by other transplant centers. Relative body weight, total serum protein, albumin, prealbumin and cholesterol were not significantly different at any study period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Proposal of a new formula to calculate total urinary nitrogen from urea urinary nitrogen.

Urea urinary nitrogen (UUN) and total urinary nitrogen (TUN) were determined in 15 patients to study their relationship mainly in highly catabolic patients. The subjects were: 7 multiple trauma, 3 autologous bone-marrow transplant, 1 tetanus, 4 postcholecystectomy patients; 180 determination were made, 111 of which in highly catabolic phase (TUN > 15 g/day). TUN and UUN are well correlated (r = 0.9742; p < 0.001) in the range 3 to 52 g/ day of TUN. Urea represents the 83.2 +/- 9.4% (M +/- SD). A double-linear formula to calculate TUN from UUN is proposed (for UUN 15 g/ day: TUN = UUN x 1.17 + 0.7; for UUN > 15 g/ day: TUN = UUN + 4). The least square procedure was used to compare the differences between measured and calculated TUN, and the results obtained with the proposed double-linear formula were compared with that obtained employing pre-existing formulas (Lee's and Mackenzie's). Considering all ranges of values studied (3-52 g of TUN) the results obtained were significantly different (p < 0.005); dividing the levels of TUN in 15 g; 16-29 g and 30 g, the results were always better, but the statistical significancy was not always reached.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1986

Effect of regular and decaffeinated coffee on serum gastrin levels.

We evaluated the hypothesis that the noncaffeine gastric acid stimulant effect of coffee might be by way of serum gastrin release. After 10 healthy volunteers drank 50 ml of coffee solution corresponding to one cup of home-made regular coffee containing 10 g of sugar and 240 mg/100 ml of caffeine, serum total gastrin levels peaked at 10 min and returned to basal values within 30 min; the response was of little significance (1.24 times the median basal value). Drinking 100 ml of sugared water (as control) resulted in occasional random elevations of serum gastrin which were not statistically significant. Drinking 100 ml of regular or decaffeinated coffee resulted in a prompt and lasting elevation of total gastrin; mean integrated outputs after regular or decaffeinated coffee were, respectively, 2.3 and 1.7 times the values in the control test. Regular and decaffeinated coffees share a strong gastrin-releasing property. Neither distension, osmolarity, calcium, nor amino acid content of the coffee solution can account for this property, which should be ascribed to some other unidentified ingredient. This property is at least partially lost during the process of caffeine removal.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

[Organization of the hospital food service in a provincial general hospital. Criteria and initial evaluation].

The results of restructuring the meals service in Ivrea Hospital are reported. 7 diet-sheets with food prepared by the central kitchen composed: 2 of normal nutritional content (the first cooked with normal ingredients; the second using special recipes for the bed-ridden); one hypoprotein (50 g/24 hrs of protein), one hypoglycidic (145-170-210 g/24 hrs of glycides), 1 hyposodic (0.6-1.4 g of N/24 hrs), one semiliquid and one divided into 6 small meals. Special diets were needed for 0.5-6-12-2-0.1% of the patients. The amount of uneaten food fell (from 30% to 10%) and there was a real increase in calories (1390 leads into 1870 cals/24 hrs) and protein consumption (70-95 g/24 hrs). The cost remained the same (2079-2176 lire/per day/per capita).

Diet, Diabetic↗
PubMed1979

["Resistent" obesity. Clinical and metabolic aspects, cellularity of the adipose tissue and personality factors].

A study was made of 20 patients with "resistant" obesity selected from a series of about 4000 observed between 1970 and 1976 in an assessment of the possible existence of features distinguishing such patients from those who respond to treatment and display a satisfactory decrease in weight. The group was marked by a higher incidence of familial obesity, earlier onset of overweight, and certain personality features (evaluated by psychometric tests). Their blood sugar and insulin curves, blood cholesterol and uric acid, adipose tissue cellularity, and blood pressure (LHAP) were similar to those in the general series. Whereas their blood triglyceride values were normal, however, those in the general series were up by 21%. It is therefore felt that the clinical tests used at present do not enable the "resistant" obese subject to be distinguished. "Resistant" obesity may well constitute a distinct nosological entity, but one that is only identifiable via the patient's response to treatment.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1978

[Preoperative renutrition in patients with esophageal stenosis].

UNLABELLED: 50 patients suffering from dysphagia and oesophageal stenosis were treated in the period 1975-77. Of these 31 had renutrition of longer than two weeks and are the subject of the present study. Three nutrition systems were employed: 1) total parenteral feeding (7 patients), 2) feeding by naso-gastric tube or gastric fistula (15 patients), 3) feeding per os with semiliquid foods (9 patients). The patients were suffering from benign cicatricial stenosis (5), tumours of the cardia (7), tumours of the oesophagus (19). Short-term survival, weight behaviour and the course of certain blood parameters (Hb, GR, cholesterol, albumin, total proteins) are reported. CONCLUSIONS: --in benign cicatricial stenosis and tumours of the cardia, a normal protein-caloric amount (2000-3500 KCal., 80-120 g/24 h of proteins) is sufficient to obtain weight increase and stabilization of blood examinations. The administration route is unimportant; --in malignant stenosis, 4000-6000 KCal. and 100-130 g of protein/24 h must be provided to obtain the same result. In patients treated with total parenteral nutrition the weight loss persists. The reason for this behaviour is not known; it is likely that enzymatic blocks exist in substrate utilization; --further study is needed to improve results obtained and to clarify the reasons for such behaviour.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Circadian profile of plasma cortisol and aldosterone in post-traumatic comatose patients under high-dose dexamethasone treatment.

Six comatose patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit immediately following an acute trauma with severe brain injury (road or industrial accident) were examined through out three consecutive 24-h cycles in the first week after trauma, when receiving intramuscularly 12 mg daily of dexamethasone-21-phosphate. Intravenous or enteral nutrition was supplied continuously. Plasma cortisol and aldosterone were measured on blood samples drawn at 4-h intervals. Data were analyzed both by conventional chronograms and by rhythmometric analysis according to the Cosinor procedures. A normally-synchronized circadian pattern of plasma cortisol was recognizable in all cases in the face of the lack of consciousness and of the pharmacological administration of dexamethasone. Acrophase was located at 08:56, with a 95% confidence region vastly overlapping the corresponding region of the controls. By contrast, the circadian pattern of plasma aldosterone appeared to be disrupted; irregular fluctuations were recorded along the entire day. The Cosinor analysis did not detect a significant rhythm of plasma aldosterone during the examined 24-h cycles. Data obtained with the present investigation demonstrate that comatose patients within a few days after severe head injury and given high-dose corticoid treatment do maintain the normal circadian organization of the plasma cortisol, whereas loose that of the plasma aldosterone. Our findings are compatible with the concept that glucocorticoid rhythmicity is particularly resistant to acute injury; the mineralocorticoid rhythmicity appears more labile probably as a consequence of the plurifactorial modulation.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Internal migration, coffee drinking, and nonfatal myocardial infarction in Italy.

We conducted a hospital-based case-control study of 153 patients who had been recently diagnosed with myocardial infarction; there were 157 hospital controls. All subjects were 35-70-y-old males who lived in the province of Torino (northern Italy). These individuals were nonsmokers or had quit smoking for at least 6 mo. A protective role of migration from southern Italy was found (age-adjusted odds ratio for northern versus southern origin = 1.82, 95% confidence interval = 1.0, 3.3). Although fat consumption differed greatly between those born in northern Italy and those in southern Italy (i.e., the former used mainly butter and the latter used mainly olive oil during their early lives), it did not explain the migration effect. A family history of myocardial infarction increased the risk of a myocardial infarction (odds ratio = 2.4, 95% confidence interval = 1.1, 4.9). Moderate coffee consumption also increased the risk and was not explained by the known coronary risk factors. Relative risks were up to 4 among both nonsmokers and exsmokers who drank more than 4 cups of coffee each day. We controlled for coffee drinking and found that the association with southern origin appeared strengthened.

Adult↗