Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to F Rossi.
In experiments at cardiovascular system level, acebutolol was found to possess beta-adrenolytic activity of cardioselective type associated with intrinsic beta-adrenergic, antiarrhythmic and anti-hypertensive activity. It was well tolerated systemically.
Congenital non-spherocytic haemolytic anaemias are a heterogeneous group of disorders caused by an ineffective normal-type enzyme or, more commonly, by a structurally abnormal and ineffective mutant enzyme. The first part of this paper deals with the laboratory diagnosis of these diseases, which is based on a three-step approach: demonstration of the haemolytic nature of the disease, demonstration that the cause of haemolysis is intracorpuscular and demonstration of the presence of an absolute or relative enzyme deficiency. Moreover, the possible causes of false negative results in standard enzyme assays are briefly commented. The second part focuses on the main clinical, laboratory and biochemical features of the most common enzyme deficiencies of both the Embden-Meyerhof pathway and purine and pyrimidine metabolism, with particular mention of the cases identified in Italy.
The frequencies of HLA antigens were studied in 101 Italian patients with psoriatic arthritis. The total group showed a significant increase in frequency of A1 and B38, and a reduction of B5 when compared to healthy controls. No association between DR and/or DQw antigens and PA were demonstrated. The comparisons between the clinical subgroups and normal controls revealed a significant association of B38 with asymmetric peripheral arthritis, B27 and B39 with spondylitis (with or without peripheral involvement). When intergroup comparison were made, the patients with spondylitis had an increase in frequency of B27 and DQw3 as compared to those with symmetric and asymmetric peripheral disease. DR4 and DRw53 were associated with earlier age of onset of arthritis. There were also significant associations between DQw3 and severe disease, and between A9, B5 and presence of erosions and joint space narrowing. No association with DR4 was showed in a subgroup of patients with symmetric polyarthritis without DIP involvement.
A new classification for microvascular lesions assessment by means of capillaroscopy is proposed in this research. The new method, offering a numerical score for microvascular lesions, was used in patients affected by isolated Raynaud Phenomenon (RP). RP can often be associated with scleroderma and, therefore, the new classification has been compared to the Maricq one for what concerns this connective tissue disorder. The numerical method is as sensitive as that by Maricq, but, as easily expected, its specificity is quite low. It appeared to be satisfactory also the positive predictive value of the new capillaroscopy classification combination with the clinical examination and with the immunologic biohumoral investigation. It is particularly easy to apply this method, as it presents to the examinator a restricted range of answers, for the capillaroscopic picture description, but it needs further studies in different microcirculation damages to be proved definitely valuable.
Pulmonary infiltrates associated with eosinophilia can be found in a variety of hypersensitivity infections, toxic, autoimmune, granulomatous, and malignant conditions. In this paper a case is described and its clinical, laboratory, radiological, and histological aspects are discussed in order to pose a differential diagnosis.
A new case of association between Bartter's syndrome and chondrocalcinosis is reported. The patient was shown to have marked hypomagnesemia. Indomethacin and magnesium therapy was started and resulted in increased magnesemia, even if it did not reach normal levels. There was complete remission of articular symptoms and no progression on the radiological picture after 2 years of continuous magnesium and indomethacin therapy. The 7 available family members were studied to assess the possible presence of a familial form of chondrocalcinosis and/or hypomagnesemia. The literature is reviewed and reports of previously described associations between Bartter's syndrome and chondrocalcinosis are summarized. The possible role of hypomagnesemia in predisposing to deposition of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal in cartilagine is also discussed.
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Malformations of the occipito-vertebral hinge destabilize the bones and injure the neural structures of the bulbo-spinal junction and of the cervico-spinal cord. The Authors have found the Gilles Bertrand intra-articular C/1-C/2 bilateral arthrodesis to be an extremely efficient surgical procedure for stabilizing the occipito-atlo-axial region, producing a relative lowering of the odontoid and relieving pressure in the occipito-atloid region. Excellent post-operative results derive from the relatively easy and non-destabilizing operative procedure. No deaths have been recorded in connection with this operation. This contrasts with the traditional occipito-atloid pressure-relieving procedure (either with or without opening of the dura mater), a procedure which, in addition to not stabilizing the upper cervical spine, sometimes results in the patient's death.
The effect of chronic ethanol administration (8% in the drinking water for 28 days) on opiate receptor function at striatal level was studied in adult (3 months) and aged (24 months) male Sprague Dawley rats. The treatment produces supersensitivity of striatal delta opiate receptors which may be ascribed to an inhibitory effect of ethanol on endogenous opiate release. In contrast the affinity of mu receptors is decreased. These changes are qualitatively and quantitatively similar in young and old rats.
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The authors report that total cardiopulmonary bypass (CPBP) for severe heart failure can be safely maintained for several days through peripheral cannulation alone. In two healthy sheep under general anesthesia, the authors cannulated the right external jugular vein and the right subclavian artery. A special spring was attached to a 7F Swan-Ganz catheter and positioned at the level of the pulmonary artery (PA) valve, rendering it partially incompetent. The extracorporeal circuit included a venous reservoir, a roller pump, a membrane lung, and a blood pulsator set at 25 beats/min. Ventricular fibrillation was induced with 110 VAC. Extracorporeal blood flow was raised to 100-120 ml/kg min. Mechanical pulmonary ventilation was changed to 5% CO2 in room air. During bypass, the wedge pressure (WP) averaged 9-13 mmHg, PA pressure 7-13 mmHg, and central venous pressure 1-9 mmHg. After 38 and 48 hr respectively the hearts were defibrillated with DC shock. There was total heart failure with no ejection from right or left. We continued with TCPBP. The right heart recovered after 1 and 3 hr respectively. After 7 and 5 hr, respectively, there was some aortic ejection. By 11 and 4 hr, respectively, the sheep were off bypass and on room air, with return to baseline cardiac function. Throughout the recovery the WP averaged 4-8 mmHg. At autopsy, all hearts were soft and normal in appearance. Histologic examination of the lungs and the heart was unremarkable. The authors conclude that the PA spring readily decompressed the LV. Ventilating lungs with 5% CO2 in air during CPBP sustained excellent lung function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Among the population of Reggio Emilia, Italy, 56 patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) were identified during the 5-year period 1981-85. The average annual incidence rates of PR and GCA were 12.8 and 8.8 respectively per 100,000 population aged 50 years or older. Forty-nine patients were followed up and the mean duration of follow-up was 32 months. All the patients received steroid therapy. We have evaluated the cumulative probability of requiring continued steroid therapy between patients with PR only, GCA only, and PR associated with GCA using life-table methods with permanent discontinuation of therapy as an end point. The different duration of steroid therapy between these 3 groups did not achieve statistical significance by the method of Lee and Desu. We identified a 5 variable discriminant function that correctly predicted whether the duration of therapy would be longer or shorter than 16 months (median duration of therapy) in 80% of our patients followed up for at least 24 months. The presence of synovitis in PR is also discussed.