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Biomedical subjects

F De Marco

Publications and source records attributed to F De Marco.

70 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Interferon inhibition of neoplastic phenotype in cell lines harbouring human papillomavirus sequences.

The transformed phenotype is markedly affected by Interferon (IFN) long term treatment in HeLa and Siha cell lines. Two months of continuous exposure to 100 and 1000 International Units (IU)/ml of human recombinant alpha IFN causes a drastic reduction of anchorage independent growth in soft-agar. No effect on in vitro growing potential was observed at the same concentrations. This antiproliferative effect in soft-agar was more pronounced in Siha than in Hela cells and was concentration and time dependent. The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) sequences inserted in the cell genome apparently were unaffected as their RNA expression, indicating that IFN may modulate aspects of transformed phenotype regulated by genes other than HPV sequences.

Cell Division↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of the efficacy of L-acetylcarnitine and tiapride combination in elderly patients with behavioral disorders].

The study assessed the efficacy of the association of L-AC and tiapride in the treatment of behavioural and psychiatric symptoms due to cerebral decay. The study included 60 subjects, aged 65-80, who were subdivided into treated and control groups. Inclusion criteria included no previous psychiatric history and no general illness. Results demonstrate the usefulness of the association of the two drugs studied.

Acetylcarnitine↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[A micromethod for assaying HIV reverse transcriptase].

A micromethod for assaying HIV reverse transcriptase was developed. Accuracy, and sensitivity of the micromethod were comparable to those of the traditional macromethod. The micromethod is easy to perform and can be used in non specialised laboratories.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Acid-labile alpha interferon produced by peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated by cells infected by HIV].

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is caused by infection with T-cell tropic retrovirus HIV. The disease is characterized by a profound defect in cell-mediated immunity and a number of serologic abnormalities. Among the serologic abnormalities, the presence of an unusual acid-labile interferon (IFN) has been repeatedly found, and it is considered to be a marker of infection HIV evolving toward illness. Because little is known about the relationships existing between the etiologic agent of AIDS (i.e. HIV) and acid-labile IFN alpha, we approached this problem by testing whether acid-labile IFN alpha is induced in vitro by this virus. In this paper we compared the IFN-inducing activity of free, infectious HIV to that of HIV-infected cells. A number of other enveloped viruses and virus-infected cells were used as controls. Interferon inducing activity by virions as compared to virus-infected cells was determined by incubating human PBMC either with VSV, HSV, and HIV or with cells infected with the same viruses. In this case cells were fixed with glutaraldehyde to prevent virus shedding. While VSV and HSV induced production of acid-stable IFN both as free virions and as virus-infected cells, HIV induced acid-stable IFN when applied as a viral suspension, but it did produce acid-labile IFN when virus-infected cells were used as the inducer. In fact the IFN produced under these circumstances lost more than 80% of its activity when treated to pH2, no matter whether H9/HIV or HIV infected PBMC were used as the inducer. Because acid-lability is a peculiar property of IFN gamma, whereas both native and cloned IFN alpha are completely stable under acid conditions, we compared the IFNs induced by either HIV and HIV-infected cells to standard IFN alpha and gamma preparations with respect to (i) acid stability (ii) neutralization with specific antisera (iii) apparent molecular weight estimated by gel filtration. Results indicate that HIV-induced IFN behaves exactly as standard IFN alpha, as it was completely stable at pH2, totally inactivated by anti-IFN alpha and not by anti-IFN gamma serum, and had apparent molecular weight of 20,000; conversely IFN induced by HIV-infected cells, both H9/HIV and PBMC/HIV, although sharing with IFN alpha both molecular weight and antigenic properties, was inactivated by acid treatment by more than 80%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

HPV-16 E6-E7 differential transcription induced in Siha cervical cancer cell line by interferons.

The transcription of HPV-16 E6/E7 RNA has been studied by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the Siha cervical carcinoma cell line. With this technique, all three different transcripts have been detected: the cDNA colinear E6 form, and the two differentially spliced forms E6*I and E6*II. All types of RNA appear less abundant in cells treated with any of Interferon alpha; beta; or gamma as compared with control cells. Other low abundance cellular RNA remained unaffected. This selective modulation might partially explain the regulation of cell growth potentials displayed by IFN treatment, although other cellular mechanisms besides the one investigated seem to be involved.

Base Sequence↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Clinical studies in working populations: a model for the anamnestic investigation of the pathology of the upper limbs and its practical application].

Following a brief review of the principal clinical characteristics of musculo-skeletal disorders of the upper limbs, the authors propose a protocol for a structured anamnestic examination featuring a series of set questions. The anamnestic model is based on a detailed listing of the symptoms to be analysed, which are divided into four categories: pain, paraesthesia, symptoms attributable to hyposthenia, and neurovegetative disorders. Regarding pain and paraesthesia, the authors list the localisation, pattern of onset, duration and number of episodes, irradiation, and treatment. The patients can thus be classified as anamnestic cases based on the following criteria: presence of pain or paraesthesia during the last 12 months, with episodes lasting for at least one week, or occurring at least once a month, with no previous acute trauma. For hyposthenia, the authors report on the conditions under which the disorder may develop. The neurovegetative disorders considered are modifications in colour of the fingers and reaction to exposure to low temperatures. The structure of the proposed anamnestic chart permits all findings to be easily encoded for subsequent storage in a dedicated database. The Appendix contains an annotated facsimile of the anamnestic chart.

Arm↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Clinical studies in working populations: value and significance of anamnestic findings, clinical tests and instrumental tests for the diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities].

The authors discuss the value and significance of symptoms in WMSDs, considering that the anamnestic threshold proposed in epidemiological investigations cannot be used as clinical and diagnosing criteria. Some useful clinical procedures are suggested for cases where there is a suspicion of musculo-skeletal disorders of the cervical spine and upper limbs, bearing in mind that they are to be applied within the framework of health surveillance programmes undertaken by health care practitioners who are not specialists in orthopaedics, physiatrics or neurology. The recommendations for instrumental tests and specialist referrals are also discussed for the various disorders. The authors also provide flow charts for the diagnostic procedures pertaining to WMSDs. The Appendix shows a sample patient chart illustrating the proposed procedures; it also permits the findings to be encoded so that they can be stored in a dedicated database. The codes for diagnosing WMSDs are also reported for the same epidemiological purposes.

Arm↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders in working populations not exposed to repetitive tasks of the upper arms].

A total of 749 workers (males: 139 aged between 15 and 35 years, and 171 aged over 35 years; females: 176 aged between 15 and 35 years, and 263 aged over 35 years) performing tasks not at risk for work-related musculo-skeletal disorders of the upper limbs (WMSDs) underwent a clinical examination using a standardised method. The "anamnetics cases" were defined on the basis of pain or paraesthesia present for at least one week during the previous 12 months, or appearing at least once a month, and not subsequent to acute trauma. The anamnestic cases among the males amounted to 4.4% (age 15 divided by 35 years) and 12.3% (age > 35); among the females 4.6% (age 15 divided by 35 years) and 14.2% (age > 35). Of the 1498 limbs examined, the prevalent pathologies reported were: suspect narrow chest syndrome: 0.3% among the males > 35 years, 0.6% among the females aged 15 divided by 35 years, 1% among the females > 35 years; scapulo-humeral periarthritis: 0.3% among the males aged > 35 years, 0.3% among the females aged 15 divided by 35 years, 1.3% among the females aged > 35 years; lateral epicondylitis: 0.3% among the males aged > 35 years, 0.2% among the females aged > 35 years; trapezio-metacarpal arthrosis: 0.8% among the females aged > 35 years; wrist-hand tendinitis: 0.9% among the males aged > 35 years, 0.9% among the females aged 15 divided by 35 years; carpal tunnel syndrome: 2.5% among the females aged > 35 years. No disorders were detected outside of the age ranges indicated. Several workers reported more than one disorder. The number of workers with at least one WMSD was: males 0% in the 15 divided by 35 years age range, 3.5% in the > 35 year age range; females 2.3% in the 15 divided by 35 year age range, 7.2% in the > 35 year age range; 3.9% of the total sample population. The prevalences were on average quite low, particularly among the older workers, hence the authors recommend that even minimal prevalences detected in particular work environments should not be underestimated.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Criteria for the health surveillance of WMSDs in exposed working populations].

In the light of the experiences and guidelines developed by other countries and of Italian legislative and operational conditions, the authors outline a strategy for a health surveillance programme for work-related musculo-skeletal disorders of the upper limbs. In particular, the paper defines the various aims of the health surveillance programme and identifies significant relevant criteria for its implementation (i.e. existence of risks or effects). A screening schedule is presented based on successive investigations (1st and 2nd level surveillance); the authors discuss the principal methods used for processing the results of the health surveillance programme, in collective (i.e. statistical comparisons; planning of periodical investigations) and individual terms (job fitness judgements; reporting of suspected occupational diseases.

Arm↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Criteria for the reintegration to their jobs of workers with musculoskeletal pathologies of the upper limbs based on preliminary practical experiences].

The report presents a preliminary study on the return to the workforce of employees with WMSDs of the upper limbs, and their reallocation to jobs with "low exposure". The study, which is still underway, involves a large engineering firm and includes some 100 workers affected by WMSDs. The trial envisages: providing a definition of the criteria for characterising "accommodating" jobs (i.e. frequency of action < or = 20 actions per minute; virtual absence of other risk factors such as force, posture, inadequate pauses, etc.); concretely identifying jobs meeting such criteria (or jobs which, with minimal modifications, could be made suitable); classifying WMSDs workers, according to the type and severity of the disorder; matching WMSDs workers with the jobs best suited to them; specific training for the workers and their supervisors; carrying out a follow-up of the return of WMSDs workers to the workforce in organisational terms (i.e. need for further modifications to equipment or procedures) and clinical terms (i.e. symptom patterns, acceptability of the condition). The preliminary results, 6-12 months after the start of the trial, are extremely encouraging, and show that when workers return to the workforce in jobs that fully meet defined criteria, a significant prevalence of "improvements" are reported among the involved workers. The investigation will need to be extended, but already it shows quite convincingly that it is possible for workers with what can be described as a "reduced working capacity" to remain "productive" (albeit in jobs featuring a lower exposure potential than the acceptable threshold for "healthy" workers).

Arm↗