Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F Leonetti

Publications and source records attributed to F Leonetti.

61 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Plasma levels of glucagon-like polypeptides in patients with esophagoplasty.

Seven patients with interposition of a jejunal tract between the esophagus and stomach or duodenum (EP group) and ten healthy normal volunteers have been submitted to an oral glucose load (OGTT) to clarify the significance of glucagon-like polypeptides (GLI) induced by glucose in carbohydrate metabolism. Blood glucose (BG) and GLI plasma levels were significantly higher in the EP group than in the normal one (p less than 0.01), respectively 30, 60, 90 min for BG and during all the test for GLI. The fasting immunoreactive glucagon (IRG) plasma levels were significantly lower in patients than in normals (p less than 0.05) whereas a marked and significant increase was observed in the EP group (p less than 0.01) from 90 to 240 min. The precocious stimulation of jejunal mucosa and the rapid intestinal transit which occur in these patients may explain the elevated GLI (probably glicentin) plasma levels. The rise in IRG plasma levels might be due to the enzymatic transformation of glicentin. The role of these types of glucagon on carbohydrate metabolism is still to be fully clarified.

Aged↗

DNA heterogeneity of Staphylococcus aureus strains evaluated by SmaI and SgrAI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis in patients with impetigo.

To our knowledge, no studies have previously been carried out on the heterogeneity and intrafamily colonization of impetigo Staphylococcus aureus strains obtained by powerful discriminating methods such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). To explore this topic, macrorestriction patterns of S. aureus strains were analyzed after SmaI and SgrAI digestion. The two enzymes provided superimposable results. A total of ninety-seven S. aureus strains was found in the 26 families whose lesions and nasal and pharyngeal samples were examined. There were 39 strains which were different by PFGE, and of these, 24 were found in the lesions. Although 85% of impetigo patients showed nasal colonization and 58% showed pharyngeal colonization, only 54% of the patients had the same PFGE strain in the lesion and in the nose, and 35% in the lesion and the pharynx. In half of the 26 families, at least one member (mother, father, or relative) presented a S. aureus strain identical, by PFGE, to strains isolated in patients' lesions. Nineteen percent of mothers, 15% of fathers, and 19% of the other relatives presented nasal colonization with strains identical to those isolated in the children's lesions. Lesional strains showed higher antimicrobial resistance than nonlesional isolates.

Adolescent↗

Pancreatic beta-cell tumors: MRI.

Ten consecutive patients with surgically proven beta-islet cell tumors, strongly suspected clinically because of positive laboratory findings, were studied by MRI at 0.5 T. Results were correlated with CT and angiography. MRI detected all 10 insulinomas, with the location confirmed at surgery. Lesion size was < 1 cm in three cases, between 1 and 2 cm in five cases, and between 2 and 3 cm in two cases. A false-negative diagnosis was obtained with CT in 6 of 10 and with angiography in 3 of 10 cases. Our results suggest that if motion artifact can be controlled or reduced, MRI can be employed to localize insulinomas in patients with positive clinical and laboratory findings.

Adolescent↗

[Rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure in hypothyroidism].

Muscular disorders are usual in hypothyroidism, but hypothyroid myopathy is most often limited to myalgias, muscle stiffness and cramps with sometimes elevated levels of muscle enzymes. We report a case of acute renal failure related to rhabdomyolysis, which complicated hypothyroïd myopathy. Thyroid hormone replacement therapy improved thyroid and renal function, and reversal rhabdomyolysis. Hypothyroidism appears to be an authentic cause of rhabdomyolysis and should be eliminated in all patients with serum muscle enzyme increase.

Aged↗

[Renal vascular lesions and the occurrence of hypertension in patients with IgA nephropathy].

Worse prognosis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is associated to hypertension, high proteinuria, glomerular and vascular sclerosis. A family story of hypertension (FHT) in relatives could be a strong predictor of the occurrence of hypertension (HT) in children. Renal vascular lesions (RVL) are often observed in normotensive patients with IgAN. In order to evaluate a possible association between FHT and LVR in patients with IgAN, we investigated two groups of 73 IgAN patients, sex (56 males and 17 females) and age matched, according to the presence or not of FHT. FHT was diagnosed if relatives and/or at least one child under 60 years of age had treatment for HT or systolic and diastolic BP over 140/90 mmHg at the time of the survey. Patients entering into the study were followed during an average period of 5 to 8 years. At the end of the study, all patients were explored for HT and renal function. Creatinine clearance (CrCl) was evaluated by Cockcroft and Gault formula and renal failure was defined as CrCl<60mL/min. The results were as follow: at the time of renal biopsy, RVL were observed in 73% of males with FHT vs 16% of males without FHT (p<0.0001) and 70.6% of females with FHT vs 29.4% of females without FHT (p<0.001); at the end of the study period, HT was significantly associated to FHT in 89.6% of patients group with FHT vs 22.6% of HT patients in the group without FHT (p<.0001). Renal failure was present in 45.2% of patients with FHT vs 4.1% of patients without FHT (p<0.0001). These data suggest: VRL could be dependent of genetic factors; FHT should be an early predictor of VRL in patients with IgAN; FHT might be a risk factor for renal failure in patients with this renal disease.

Adult↗