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F Costa

Publications and source records attributed to F Costa.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

[Cardiovascular effects of coffee consumption in the aged: the CASTEL epidemiologic study].

The data obtained from 2240 subjects aged 65 years or more from the general population of Castelfranco Veneto (Italy) included in the CASTEL (CArdiovascular STudy in the ELderly) epidemiological Italian project were analyzed in relation to coffee consumption. Subjects were divided into 3 classes: class 1 (N = 109): non coffee drinkers; class 2 (N = 1554): 1 to 2 cups of coffee per day; class 3 (N = 577): 3 or more cups per day. The results were described by ANOVA, Tukey post hoc test and Pearson correlation coefficient with Bonferroni's conservative correction. In classes 2 and 3 total cholesterol, apolipoprotein B100 and calculated LDL-cholesterol were higher than in class 1. The number of cups of coffee per day directly correlated to both the number of cigarettes per day and the number of drinks per week. Although these data seem to indicate a convergence of risk factors (cholesterol, smoking, alcohol) in coffee drinkers, no increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular events was found in coffee drinkers in comparison with non drinkers. This could be attributed to the fact that prevalence of hypertension and diabetes did not increase with increasing coffee consumption; on the contrary, they were lower in classes 2 and 3 than in class 1.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1990

[Description of a case of rheumatoid pleuropneumopathy with primary onset].

A case of pleuropulmonary manifestation as the first symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is reported; articular involvement followed at a later stage. Pleuropulmonary localisation of rheumatoid arthritis is varied and infrequent; it is seldom the first manifestation of illness. This case was particular because isolated pleuropulmonary symptom appeared in a subject negative rheumatoid factor. The patient improved after initial NSAIDS treatment, followed by corticosteroids and NSAIDS together, leading to the resolution of clinical and x-ray symptoms.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1990

Liver triglyceride accumulation after chronic ethanol administration: a possible protective role of metadoxina and ubiquinone.

Hepatoprotective actions of metadoxina and ubiquinone have been studied in alcoholic rats by evaluating hepatic triglyceride accumulation and serum biochemical parameters of liver function. The two drug-treated groups displayed significantly lower triglyceride concentrations as compared to the ethanol-treated group. No significant differences were found among the two drug-treated and the control groups. Electron-microscopic abnormalities were found only in ethanol-treated rats. Serum biochemical parameters of liver function did not show any significant difference among all four groups. These results suggest a possible protective role of metadoxina and ubiquinone in ethanol-induced liver triglyceride accumulation.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Evaluation of the sensitivity of microfilter paper assays in an anthropological study: results of samples from Cameroon and Tanzania.

Microfilter absorbed whole blood samples from 223 Tanzanian babies and 189 adults from Cameroon have been examined. Blood specimens are difficult to obtain from African suburban and rural areas, and lack of storage and transportation facilities can prevent the collection of samples. We evaluated some microassays employing whole blood collected on filter paper. This method is a well established technique in neonatal screening for endocrinometabolic diseases. We also developed microassays for whole dried blood spots to type AB0 blood groups and HIV disease using commercial reagents. Phenotype and gene frequencies for AB0 and hemoglobin systems as well as our results concerning the typings of thyroxine (T4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) are reported.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1989

[Usefulness of 2-component human fibrin glue in stabilizing vascular sutures at risk in hemodialysis].

The controversies arising in recent years over the possible transmission of viruses including the hepatitis and HTLV III type in blood derivatives that have been more or less purified or screened for specific antibodies are still to be fully resolved. Though some statistical epidemiological studies seem to exclude the possibility when it comes to the use of bicomponent human fibrin glue (Tissucol) (Eder et al., 1986) it seems unreasonable totally to exclude the possibility of contamination arising from the use of this product. Certainly such contamination is only a remote possibility in haemodialysis patients who, obliged by their condition to undergo repeated intravascular injections of blood or other blood derivates, are highly unlikely to contract disease precisely due to the use of fibrin glue. For this reason, over the past three years bicomponent human fibrin glue has been used whenever necessary and has proved extremely valuable in stabilising vascular sutures at risk.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Prevalence of reoperation for pathway obstruction after Fontan operation.

Among 334 patients undergoing the Fontan operation at two institutions and followed for a long time, freedom from reoperation for Fontan pathway obstruction was 99% at 1 year after operation and 96%, 86%, and 59%, respectively, at 5, 10, and 15 years after operation. The hazard function for reoperation had an initial very rapidly declining phase and a second phase that was still rising 15 years after operation. Twelve (17%; confidence limits [CL], 13% to 23%) of 69 patients with a right atrial to right ventricular conduit (valved or nonvalved) connection underwent reoperation for pathway obstruction, whereas only 2 (4%; CL, 1% to 10%) of 45 patients with a direct connection to the right ventricle required reoperation. Five (8%; CL, 4% to 13%) of 65 patients with a right atrial to pulmonary artery conduit connection required reoperation for pathway obstruction, and only 2 (1.3%; CL, 0.4% to 3%) of 155 patients with a direct right atrial to pulmonary artery connection required reoperation. These findings have implications as to the optimal technique of the Fontan operation and also as to use of an intraatrial tunnel as part of the repair.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Abscess of the mediastinum: a case report.

In this report a rare case of mediastinal abscess secondary to purulent tonsilitis is reported. Generally this condition is consequent to systemic, cervical, thoracic, or abdominal infections.

Abscess↗
PubMed1989

The size of the pulmonary arteries and the results of the Fontan operation.

All patients (n = 334) undergoing the Fontan operation at the University of Bordeaux, France, and the University of Alabama Medical Center, Birmingham, were entered into a single data base to examine the relation, if any, between size of the pulmonary arteries and outcome. Recent follow-up was made of all patients. The time-related freedom from death or takedown of the Fontan operation was 78% at 1 month, 73% at 6 months, and 72%, 68%, 61%, and 50% at 1, 5, 10, and 15 years after the operation. The hazard function (instantaneous risk of the combined event at each moment in time after the operation) had a rapidly declining early phase that gave way at about 6 months to a late phase of hazard, which began slowly to rise about 8 years after the operation. One of the most powerful risk factors for death or takedown of the Fontan operation was the dimensions of the right and left pulmonary arteries, expressed as a McGoon ratio. By multivariate analysis, the risk of the combined event increased sharply when the McGoon ratio was less than about 1.8, and when the ratio was as low as 1.2 the probability of death or takedown within 30 days of the operation was predicted to be 55% when the right atrium was connected to the pulmonary artery and 34% when connected to the right ventricle. Other risk factors identified were age at operation, the presence of mitral atresia, the degree of main chamber hypertrophy, elevated pulmonary artery pressure, non-use of cardioplegia, global myocardial ischemic time, and attachment of the right atrium to the pulmonary artery rather than to the right ventricle.

Blood Vessel Prosthesis↗
PubMed1988

CA 19-9 determination in gastric juice: role in identifying gastric cancer and high risk patients.

Gastric juice CA 19-9 levels were determined in 23 patients affected by gastric cancer, in 57 patients affected by chronic atrophic gastritis of different severities and in 55 'healthy' controls, undergoing endoscopy for upper gastrointestinal tract symptoms. Increased CA 19-9 levels were documented in chronic atrophic gastritis patients as well as in gastric cancer patients, the difference with respect to controls being statistically significant. However, there was considerable overlap between different groups. In particular, gastric cancer patients had CA 19-9 levels similar to those detected in moderate and severe chronic atrophic gastritis. CA 19-9 correlated with gastric juice pH and CEA concentration. Its values were not influenced by the patients' age or sex. In our opinion CA 19-9 gastric juice determination, although not useful in singling out patients harboring gastric neoplasia, may be used in identifying patients 'at risk' for gastric cancer and who might then be referred for more accurate investigations.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Twelve-hour spontaneous nocturnal growth hormone secretion in growth retarded patients.

Twelve-hour nocturnal GH secretion was studied in 30 children with familial short stature (FSS), constitutional growth delay (CGD), total growth hormone deficiency (TGHD), partial growth hormone deficiency (PGHD), or idiopathic short stature (ISS). No difference was observed between subjects with FSS and children with CGD. The mean 12-hour serum GH concentration was significantly lower in patients with TGHD (p less than 0.001), children with PGHD (p less than 0.01), and subjects with ISS (p less than 0.01) than in subjects with FSS and CGD. No overlap was observed between the range of mean concentration values of children with TGHD and that of subjects with FSS. A significant correlation was found between growth velocity expressed as SD from the mean for bone age and GH concentration (p less than 0.001). All patients with a growth velocity less than 3rd percentile for bone age showed a mean nocturnal concentration less than 4 ng/ml. These data suggest that evaluation of 12-hour spontaneous nocturnal GH secretion with GH sampling every 30 minutes can be usefully employed in the diagnosis of GH deficiency.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Famotidine in the short-term treatment of duodenal ulcer and of concomitant peptic lesions: comparison with cimetidine.

Twenty patients affected with endoscopically demonstrated duodenal ulcer were studied. They were randomly divided into two groups of ten individuals each. The first group was treated with famotidine 40 mg/die/os, the second one with cimetidine 800 mg/die/os; both drugs were administered in one medication at bedtime. In each group, eight patients completed the treatment: six out of eight famotidine treated and five out of eight cimetidine treated patients showed ulcer healing on upper digestive endoscopy after four weeks of treatment; after eight weeks of therapy, all patients of both groups displayed ulcer healing. Nevertheless, an overall quantitative evaluation of all peptic lesions (performed according to an endoscopic arbitrary score) indicated a higher effectiveness of famotidine. Famotidine did not affect humoral parameters of renal, hepatic and myelopoietic function and did not significantly change fasting serum gastrin levels.

Cimetidine↗
PubMed1987

The effects of the antimuscarinic drugs pirenzepine and atropine on plasma portal levels of somatostatin and gastrin in the dog.

The effects of the antimuscarinic drugs pirenzepine and atropine on somatostatin and gastrin portal levels under basal conditions and during bethanechol infusion have been investigated in anesthetized dogs. Iv bolus administration of pirenzepine (1 mg/kg) or atropine (0.1 mg/kg), decreased gastrin concentrations, but did not affect basal somatostatin levels. During 120 min of bethanechol infusion (160 micrograms/kg/h) gastrin levels increased but somatostatin levels were unchanged. Pirenzepine (1 mg/kg iv bolus), administered at the 60th min of bethanechol infusion, decreased the gastrin concentrations, and markedly enhanced somatostatin levels. Under the same conditions atropine (0.1 mg/kg iv bolus) decreased gastrin levels, but had little or no effect on somatostatin levels. These results indicate that muscarinic receptors with similar affinity for pirenzepine and atropine mediate excitatory cholinergic influences on gastrin release. By contrast, muscarinic receptors with higher affinity for pirenzepine seem to be involved in the cholinergic inhibition of somatostatin release: by selectively blocking these receptors, pirenzepine may increase portal somatostatin levels.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Perendoscopic gastric pH determination. Simple method for increasing accuracy in diagnosing chronic atrophic gastritis.

The endoscopic diagnosis of chronic atrophic gastritis is often underestimated, and most of the procedures adopted to increase diagnostic accuracy are time consuming and complex. In this study, we evaluated the usefulness of the determination of gastric juice pH by means of litmus paper. Values obtained by this method correlate well with gastric acid secretory capacity as measured by gastric acid analysis (r = -0.64, p less than 0.001) and are not affected by the presence of bile. Gastric juice pH determination increases sensitivity and other diagnostic parameters such as performance index (Youden J test), positive predictive value, and post-test probability difference by 50%. Furthermore, the negative predictive value is very high, the probability of missing a patient with chronic atrophic gastritis with this simple method being 2% for fundic and 15% for antral atrophic change. We conclude that gastric juice pH determination, which substantially increases diagnostic accuracy and is very simple to perform, should be routinely adopted.

Female↗