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F Castelli

Publications and source records attributed to F Castelli.

115 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

[The liver in patients with beta-thalassemia major. Determination of iron levels with magnetic resonance].

INTRODUCTION: We investigated the clinical usefulness of liver MRI in a large multicenter study because the control of iron concentration (LIC) is crucial in thalassemia major (TM) prognosis and conflicting results have been reported in small and heterogeneous groups of patients using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), the only very common non-invasive procedure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred and eight consecutive TM patients, selected according to a specific protocol, were included in the study. In 29 of these LIC was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry on liver biopsy and expressed as microgram/gr dry weight. MRI was performed with a 0.5 T superconducting unit. The ratio of the average signal intensity (SIR) of the liver to that of paraspinal muscle was calculated and expressed as a percentage. RESULTS: Mean +/- (SD) of SIR was 100 +/- 26% (test for normality: p = 0.02) and of LIC was 3677 +/- 4662 micrograms/g/dry liver (test for normality: p < 0.00001). The logit transformation of LIC (lLIC) achieved both normality of distribution of lLIC and linear regression of lLIC on SIR (t = 7.36; p < 0.00001) according to the equation: Y = -0.0136 + SIR* (0.157) = lLIC log10 (K-LIC/LIC) where K = 79.433. Thus the values of LIC are expressed by the equation LIC K/(1 + 10 y) micrograms/g/dry liver. Moreover, a mild correlation was found between SIR and AST (p = 0.01; r = -0.30), ALT (p = 0.02; r = -0.21), gamma GT (p = < 0.01; r = -0.37; r = -0.25). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that LIC can be calculated as a function of SIR. A validation study is necessary before introducing this prediction rule in clinical practice.

Adult↗

Glenoid hypoplasia. Description of a clinical case and analysis of the literature.

Glenoid hypoplasia, or dysplasia of the scapular neck, is a relatively rare alteration that in most cases involves the pectoral girdle in a bilateral and symmetrical manner. In general, glenoid hypoplasia is associated with skeletal changes such as hypoplasia of the humeral head, or changes in the morphology of the acromion and of the coracoid. The authors describe a case of unilateral glenoid hypoplasia, which was symptomatic for a few years, reporting the clinical-radiographic findings and based on the data published in the literature reporting how this disease, which often goes unrecognized, is much more frequent than is imagined.

Adult↗

[Evaluation of the coagulation and fibrinolysis system in 54 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: correlations with lipid metabolism and blood glucose control].

Diabetic patients have increased morbidity and mortality attributable to myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease, due to a high incidence of premature atherosclerosis. Abnormalities of hemostasis have been reported in many studies on diabetes over almost thirty years, but unfortunately the results have often appeared contradictory. The hemostatic alterations could lead to increased risk of vascular disease in diabetic patients. We have studied some coagulation factors (Fibrinogen, Factor II, Factor VII) and coagulation inhibitors (Protein C, Protein S), and plasminogen in fifty-four type 2 diabetic patients. The possible relationship between coagulation factors and coagulation inhibitors and parameters for glyco-metabolic control (glycosylated hemoglobin, fructosamine) and disturbed lipid metabolism (cholesterol, triglycerides) have ben analyzed. Our results show increase of fibrinogen, correlated with the metabolic control of the disease, positive correlation between plasminogen, factor II, protein S and hypertriglycerides, decreased levels of protein C correlated neither with metabolic control of disease neither with disturbed lipid metabolism.

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