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Biomedical subjects

F Porzio

Publications and source records attributed to F Porzio.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Use of thermomagnetic bandages and belts in cervical and lumbar pain syndromes. Experimental study with double blind method versus placebo].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the antalgic activity of thermomagnetic bandages and belts in cervical and lumbar pain syndrome (respectively CPS and LPS), compared with non-magnetic devices (placebo). PATIENTS AND METHODS: It was a double-blind study on two groups of 30 patients suffering from chronic back pain (15 cervical and 15 lumbar in each group). Patients had to stop any previous analgesic or antiinflammatory drug treatment at least 8 days prior to entering the study. Each subject included in the study had to wear the bandage/belt for 8 hours a day for 14 consecutive days. Before the start, every subject underwent an initial assessment of his/her current pain level and functional status through the use of two visual analogue scales (pain and functional status) and one verbal scale (pain). After the end of the study, a final assessment was made using the same tools. RESULTS: 93 and 97% (respectively in the CPS and LPS group) were the percentages of patients in the actively-treated arm who showed an improvement both in pain level and in functional status. This improvement was statistically significant vs. the correspondent placebo-treated groups (respectively, 20 and 23% in the CPS and in the LPS). No adverse events associated to treatment were signalled. CONCLUSIONS: The use of thermomagnetic bandages and belts (which are, virtually in all cases, free of contraindications) allows us a more rational and easy management of the patient suffering from chronic back pain.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immune imbalance in the synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients: effects of intra-articular injection of thymopentin.

T cell subsets in the synovial fluid (SF) and peripheral blood (PB) of RA patients and controls suffering from different forms of chronic synovitis have been investigated. The immunological evaluation showed a reduction of CD4 subsets in RA-SF compared to RA-PB (p less than 0.001), and an almost complete absence of the suppressor-inducer/naive T cells in RA-SF compared to RA-PB and SF from patients with other forms of chronic synovitis. The CD8 subpopulation showed an increased proportion of cytotoxic cells only in RA-SF. On the basis of these results, an intra-articular immunomodulating treatment with thymopentin has been performed: its effects were characterized by an increase of CD8+CD11b+ T cells in the CD8 subset parallel to the enhancement of the suppressor-inducer/naive T cells in the CD4 subset with a statistically significant correlation. The enhanced levels of soluble CD8 decreased after treatment in RA-SF, whereas the soluble IL-2R levels were not significantly modified. Clinical evaluation showed a significative amelioration in all considered parameters.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

HLA antigens in Italian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: evidence for the association of DQw2 with the autoantibody response to extractable nuclear antigens.

In order to verify the hypothesis that Italian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may be immunogenetically distinct from SLE patients born in other regions, we investigated the HLA class I and II antigens and their relation with the various autoantibodies characteristic of the disease in an Italian SLE population. Forty-four SLE patients were typed for HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR and -DQ antigens; sera from the same patients were tested for the presence of antibodies to the nuclear or cytoplasmic antigens Ro/SSA, La/SSB, Sm and RNP (ENA). Results of HLA typing showed that the frequencies of DR3 and DQw2 were increased in patients compared with controls. Analysis of the correlations between HLA antigens and anti-ENA antibodies showed that both DQw2 and DR3 were increased in patients with anti-Ro and/or antiLa antibodies, while in patients with anti-Sm and/or antiRNP antibodies the DQw2 and DR4 were found to be increased. Only DQw2 was found to be significantly increased in anti-ENA positive patients. These results might suggest that Italian patients with SLE are, at least in part, different from lupus patients living in other geographical areas and suggest the association of DQw2 with the autoantibody response to ENA in SLE.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Clinical manifestations correlated with anticardiolipin antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus: preliminary results of a prospective study].

Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) have been linked to various clinical manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), mainly thrombosis, repeated abortions and thrombocytopenia. Despite the large number of studies which have been published in the recent years, there is still some debate on this matter, and no firm conclusion has been reached as yet. Among the various aPL, anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) have received more attention, mostly because they can be easily detected by means of immunoenzymatic assays. The main objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of IgG and IgM aCL isotypes in SLE in order to compare their possible association with the clinical manifestations of the disease. Clinical features of 40 consecutive and unselected SLE patients (35 female and 5 male) were prospectively studied. Sera from the same patients were tested for the presence of aCL, using a standardised ELISA assay, and the presence of aCL was correlated with the various clinical events. Results showed that the prevalence of aCL was 42.5% for the IgG isotype and 10% for the IgM isotype. Regarding the clinical associations of aCL, we found a strong linkage between the presence of these antibodies and the occurrence of both thrombosis and abortions; a weaker association with neurological events was also demonstrated. These results, if confirmed on larger series, suggest that aCL should be searched in patients with SLE in order to identify those who are at greater risk of developing some severe clinical problems and could benefit by prophylactic treatment.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Polyarticular pigmented villonodular synovitis associated with multiple congenital anomalies. A case of Noonan-like/multiple giant cell lesion syndrome.

A case of polyarticular pigmented villonodular synovitis associated with many congenital phenotypic peculiarities (such as shortness, blue sclerae, flattened nose, low-set ears, hypertelorism, curly hair and pulmonary stenosis) is described. The presence of many of the typical signs of the Noonan syndrome and the histological finding of giant cells on the synovial biopsy led to the diagnosis of Noonan-like/multiple giant cell lesion syndrome.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of cyclosporin on joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis. The Italian Rheumatologists Study Group on Rheumatoid Arthritis.

According to the most recent literature, few antirheumatic drugs can claim disease-controlling properties over the anatomical joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A small number of studies have favored one or another of the available agents, in particular parenteral gold salts, sulphasalazine and methotrexate, but the evidence regarding their efficacy is not convincing when analysed using methodological criteria known to be important in evaluating radiologic evidence of joint damage. The radiologic results in long-standing RA patients have shown that CsA may be of benefit in reducing disease progression. Data from the second year of a clinical trial designed to compare the disease-controlling, anti-rheumatic properties of CsA with those of conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in early RA support the hypothesis that CsA may be useful in delaying the appearance of new joint erosion.

Adult↗