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Biomedical subjects

G Bianucci

Publications and source records attributed to G Bianucci.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

[Presence of HLA-DRB1 alleles in a group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with low doses of sodium aurothiomalate].

The good results of a therapy with small doses of sodium aurothiomalate (20 mg/month) in 17 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis are reported. The mean age +/- ESM at the beginning of treatment was 59.9 +/- 3.2 years, the mean duration of disease was 1.3 +/- 0.5 years. The lowest grade of disease activity (1) according to Mallya and Mace's (1981) criteria was observed in 12 patients (70%) after a period of 1.7 +/- 0.6 years (mean +/- ESM). This grade of activity persisted in 11 patients and remained for 3 years in 1 patient. In the other 5 patients a low or middle activity of disease persisted. The relationship between therapeutic results and HLA DRB1 prevalence was investigated. The LLEQRRAA and LLEQKRAA sequences are present in 3 patients, i.e. 17.9%. This frequency is not significantly different from the frequency (28.6%) observed in a control group of healthy subjects. Therefore these sequences, at least in Italian people, cannot be considered a factor of susceptibility to RA. They may be a factor of evolution to a more severe disease. Dermatological side effects were evident only in 2 patients; one of these patients was HLA DR5 positive. The results observed in DR7 positive patients were not different from the results observed in the other patients; therefore, DR7 positive patients could responders to gold treatment, even with low doses.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[The use of low doses of sodium aurothiomalate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Current trends in basic therapy].

We studied 20 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis treated with small doses of sodium aurothiomalate (20 mg/month, seldom 40 mg/month) for a mean time of 6.1 years (range 2.7-10.6). 16 subjects were women and 4 men; their mean age was 58 years (range 35-77). 9 patients (45%) were affected by seropositive RA; the mean duration of disease was 1.5 years (range 0.3-7.3). 14 patients achieved the grade 1 of disease activity, evaluated by Mallya and Mace's (1981) criteria: 9 subjects after 3-9 months and 5 subjects after 2-5 years. The mean length of this remission state was 4.3 years (range 0.9-9.9). Side dermatological effects (skin rashes, pruritus, exfoliative dermatitis) were observed in 3 patients (15%); 1 patient (5%) was withdrawn from the study. We have discussed the numerous advantages of low doses of sodium aurothiomalate monotherapy, although this therapy has to be employed only in patients selected by prognostic features. Moreover we briefly mention the actual opinions in R.A. therapy that discuss the traditional pyramidal approach in favour of more aggressive therapy with combination of various disease-modifying drugs in many R.A. patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The diagnosis value of beta 2-microglobulin and immunoglobulins in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Salivary and serum concentrations of beta 2-microglobulin, salivary levels of the immunoglobulins, and salivary flow (as measured by a gravimetric method) were assessed in 34 patients and 11 controls. Of the 34 study patients, 16 had a primary form of Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and 18 had sicca syndrome. The salivary and serum concentrations of beta 2-microglobulin and salivary levels of IgA and IgG were much higher in the patients with pSS than in controls or those with sicca syndrome (p < 0.001). Similarly, the salivary IgM levels of patients with pSS were higher (although at a lower degree of statistical significance) as compared to those of patients with sicca syndrome (p < 0.01) or controls (p < 0.05). No correlation was observed among the salivary flow and the salivary IgG and IgM levels, while there was a negative relationship (p < 0.01 with salivary IgA levels in all 45 patients considered as a whole. In 12 patients with pSS, the coefficient of correlation between the salivary gland biopsy focus score and the salivary (but not serum) concentration of beta 2-microglobulin was highly significant (p < 0.001). A similar relationship was observed with the IgG (p < 0.001) and IgM (p < 0.05) levels, but not IgA. In the diagnosis of pSS, the salivary IgA level demonstrates high sensitivity and low specificity. In contrast, serum and salivary concentrations of beta 2-microglobulin, salivary IgG, and to a lesser degree, salivary IgM have high specificity and positive predictive value.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1992

[Salivary and serum beta 2-microglobulin in the diagnosis of primary Sjögren's syndrome].

beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) serum and salivary levels and total protein salivary levels were determined in 15 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), 14 patients with sicca syndrome and 11 healthy subjects. beta 2m serum and salivary levels were higher (p < 0.005) in the patients with pSS than in the healthy subjects and in the patients with sicca syndrome. The bioptic focus scores of minor salivary glands were correlated to beta 2m salivary levels with a high significance (p < 0.001) but were not correlated to beta 2m serum levels. The assessment of beta 2m serum and salivary levels is a non-invasive clinical investigation, which may be easily repeated. It is a very sensitive and highly specific test for the diagnosis of pSS. It may be therefore a useful mean to follow the natural course of pSS and to evaluate the effects of therapy.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1991

[Serum beta 2-microglobulin and HLA alloantigens in primary Gougerot-Sjögren syndrome. A possible relation with HLA-DR3 specificity].

The relationships between some allo-antigens of the HLA system and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) serum level were examined in a group of 24 subjects with primitive Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). While the beta 2m serum level of all the patients with pSS were higher at the limits of significance (p congruent to 0.05), compared to the values of the 14 control subjects, the division of the patients into two sub-groups of 14 and 10 subjects, according to the presence or absence of the haplotypes DR2 and/or DR3, pointed up a beta 2m serum level which was significantly higher in the first compared to the second (p less than 0.02) and to the group of normal subjects (p less than 0.01). Among the individual haplotypes studied, only the DR3 was observed with a significantly greater frequency (p less than 0.01) in the patients compared to the control group. The haplotype DR3 and also the B8, although at a lesser level, were found to be correlated with a high value of the serum beta 2m: p less than 0.004 and p less than 0.05 respectively. A similar association was not found for the DR2 and DRW52 specificities.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

[Sideropenic anemia in rheumatoid arthritis: diagnostic usefulness of serum ferritin, unsaturated transferrin and induced urinary siderosis].

The various erythrocyte indices, serum iron, unsaturated iron binding capacity, serum ferritin and sideruria after desferrioxamine were measured in a group of 30 patients with active Rheumatoid Arthritis and anemia. The patients were subdivided into two groups of 23 and 7 subjects based on the presence or absence of marrow iron stores, respectively. Significant differences in the mean values of unsaturated iron binding capacity (P less than 0.001), serum ferritin (P less than 0.01) and sideruria after desferrioxamine (P less than 0.001) were observed between the two groups of patients by statistical analysis. Unlike the other indices, the values assessed in the first and the second group of patients as for the above parameters did not overlap. A negative correlation index and a positive one of high significance (P less than 0.001) was found between the values of serum ferritin and those of unsaturated iron binding capacity and sideruria after desferrioxamine, respectively. The above results demonstrate that even in active Rheumatoid Arthritis a concomitant iron deficiency can be diagnosed by means of non-invasive, quantitative and easily reproducible methods.

Anemia, Hypochromic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Critical evaluation of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels in rheumatoid arthritis and laboratory indices of disease activity.

Fifty patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were studied to find a possible correlation between some humoral parameters, considered as indexes of the active inflammation, and serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP); 31 patients with osteoarthrosis were examined as controls. The low coefficient of correlation, obtained in subjects with RA, between GGTP and CRP, alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, fibrinogen and ESR (p less than 0.05) seems to indicate that measurement of this enzyme is of little practical value as an index of the activity of RA. Furthermore, the resulting correlations between serum GGTP and other liver function tests in relation to anti-inflammatory and sedative therapy in patients with RA are considered.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship between serum ferritin, iron stores and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.

Bone marrow aspirate from the sternum of 40 patients with active or inactive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was stained with Perls' Prussian blue for iron determination. In these patients serum ferritin concentrations were correlated with other indices of iron stores and disease activity. In patients with active RA and without bone marrow iron stores, serum ferritin was significantly lower than in patients with either active or inactive RA and iron stores. In patients with bone marrow iron stores, serum ferritin was directly correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), Ritchie index, alpha 1-antitrypsin, alpha 1-acid glycoprotein and desferrioxamine (DFO)-induced sideruria, while an inverse correlation of serum ferritin with hemoglobin and serum iron was observed. In all patients serum ferritin was significantly correlated only with DFO-induced sideruria and unsaturated iron-binding capacity (UIBC). Thus, serum ferritin is an index of iron stores also in rheumatoid arthritis. In active disease, higher than expected values of serum ferritin are probably due to a shifting of iron from the circulating pool to the reticuloendothelial cells of the synovial membrane.

Adult↗