Biomedical subjects

G Galeazzi

Publications and source records attributed to G Galeazzi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Modeling premature occurrence of acute coronary syndrome with atherogenic and thrombogenic risk factors and gene markers in extended families.

BACKGROUND: The interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors in determining premature cardiovascular events has been largely investigated in case-control association studies. By contrast, few family based analyses have been performed so far. PATIENTS/METHODS: From a series of 2936 subjects aged 45-64, we selected probands who died for a premature (<50 years) ischemic heart disease (IHD) and with at least one family member with a history of IHD also occurring under the age of 50. Ninety-four families from 32 pedigrees including 296 subjects were identified. In this population, we analyzed the relationship between background risk factors [age, gender, the G1691A polymorphisms of factor V gene, the C677T polymorphisms of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, the 844ins68bp polymorphisms of the cystathionine-beta-synthase (CBS) gene, and the apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphisms] and environmental risk factors, both atherogenic (smoke, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity) and thrombogenic (smoke, homocysteine, fibrinogen) by a Markov block-recursive modeling approach. RESULTS: None of the studied polymorphisms had an independent direct effect on the risk of IHD. As opposed to atherogenic factors, thrombogenic factors (homocysteine and fibrinogen) turned out to be possible mediators of the indirect effect of the MTHFR gene on IHD risk (OR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.01-1.69, for every 8 mm increase in plasma levels of homocysteine in TT-carriers compared with CT/CC-carriers (OR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.01-1.22), for every 20 g L(-1) increase in plasma levels of fibrinogen in TT-carriers compared with CT/CC-carriers). CONCLUSION: Plasma levels of homocysteine and fibrinogen may be interpreted as intermediate factors mediating the effect of predisposing genes on the risk premature cardiovascular disease.

Age of Onset↗

PubMed2003

[Triple malaria infection in twin sisters from the Democratic Republic of Congo].

Infections with 3 species of malaria parasites are rarely encountered and observed in less than 0.05% of cases. We came across such an infection in four year-old, monozygote twin sisters, coming from Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo). In both of them, parasitemia was low or very low for P. falciparum and P. ovale and of 0.1-0.2% for P. malariae. The twin sisters presented with an iron deficiency anaemia, associated with an heterozygous sickle-cell anaemia and a moderate splenomegaly. The biological tests results were similar. They responded well to treatment. We point out the difficulty in recognizing the concomitant presence of several species of hematozoaire on blood smear.

Anemia, Iron-Deficiency↗

PubMed2002

[Moving meningitis].

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Diagnosis, Differential↗

PubMed2002

Genetic structure of Candida glabrata populations in AIDS and non-AIDS patients.

The genotypes of 63 strains (11 reference strains and 52 strains from hospitalized patients) of the haploid yeast Candida glabrata were determined from 33 putative gene enzymatic loci. This enabled the characterization of 26 different multilocus genotypes. Genetic differentiation was found between distant hospitals (located in Montpellier and Paris, France) but not for other parameters (anatomic origins or human immunodeficiency virus-positive [HIV+] and HIV- patients). Strong nonrandom association between loci could be seen. Such statistical linkages were confirmed upon comparing the patterns of 14 RAPD [random(ly) amplified polymorphic DNA] primers from 20 of these strains to results obtained from multilocus enzyme electrophoresis analysis. This finding suggests a mainly clonal mode of reproduction of C. glabrata. The consequences of the clonality displayed by C. glabrata populations on the epidemiology of this yeast are also discussed.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

PubMed1999

[Pelvic actinomycosis: a case with secondary localization in the liver].

BACKGROUND: Actinomycosis is uncommonly observed in a pelvic localization. The presence of an intrauterine device is an important risk factor. CASE REPORT: A 50-year-old woman presented a tumoral mass in the pelvis with secondary liver involvement. Pathology examination corrected the initial diagnosis of advanced stage pelvic neoplasia to actinomycosis. Rapid improvement was achieved with penicillin. DISCUSSION: Differential diagnosis is difficult but essential in case of pelvic actinomycosis as misdiagnosis can have disastrous surgical consequences. Medical treatment is indicated. Actinomycosis should be entertained as a possible diagnosis in all cases associating a pelvic tumor and inflammation in women wearing an intrauterine device.

Actinomycosis↗

PubMed1999

[Pelvic actinomycosis].

UNLABELLED: AN UNUSUAL INFECTION: Actinomycosis, uncommon in a pelvic localization, is a severe condition not well known to gynecologists. It is caused by Actinomyces israeli and is closely associated with long-term use of an intrauterine device. In the pelvic localization, the disease generally presents as a pseudoneoplastic formation. DIFFICULT DIAGNOSIS: Diagnosis is generally not established clinically. Pathology provides positive diagnosis. The germ cannot be isolated easily as it does not survive standard bacteriology sampling. Monoclonal antibodies may be helpful. MEDICAL TREATMENT: Intravenous penicillin G followed by at least 6 months oral penicillin is generally successful in eradicating the infection. Indications for surgery should be limited to diagnostic procedures (pathology specimen), drainage in case of abscess formation, and removal of an obstacle compressing the digestive or urinary tract.

Actinomycosis↗

PubMed1998

Airway eosinophilic inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness after allergen inhalation challenge in asthma.

Allergen exposure in atopic asthmatic patients is associated with recruitment and activation of eosinophils in the airways. Once activated, eosinophils release toxic products, including the eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), able to damage bronchial structures and to increase bronchial hyperresponsiveness. With this background, the present study was designed to evaluate whether ECP levels in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid could reflect, better than BAL eosinophil counts, the cellular activation that follows allergen exposure in atopic asthmatics. Twenty-two atopic patients attended the laboratory on two separate days. On the 1st day, they underwent methacholine (MCh) inhalation challenge to detect the degree of nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness. On the 2nd day, they underwent fiberoptic bronchoscopy and BAL, at baseline or 4-6 h after allergen inhalation challenge. In this latter patient group, MCh challenge was repeated 3-5 h after allergen challenge, 1 h before fiberoptic bronchoscopy. The analysis of the mean baseline FEV1 values and the degree of bronchial reactivity to MCh (MCh Pd20) on the 1st study day did not demonstrate differences between the two patient groups (p > 0.1, each comparison). In addition, in the allergen-challenged group, MCh Pd20 was decreased significantly after allergen challenge (151.4 micrograms/ml and 67.6 micrograms/ml, respectively, before and after challenge; p < 0.05). Evaluation of the different BAL cell types demonstrated that the proportions of eosinophils and epithelial cells were increased significantly in the allergen-challenged group compared with the group evaluated at baseline (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). Moreover, ECP levels, corrected by the correspondent albumin levels (ECP/Alb), were higher in the allergen-challenged group compared with the group evaluated at baseline (p < 0.05). In addition, although a positive correlation was demonstrated between BAL eosinophil percentages and ECP/Alb values (r = 0.72, p < 0.05) in the group evaluated at baseline, no links were found between these parameters in the allergen-challenged group (p > 0.1). However, in this latter group, a weak positive correlation was demonstrated between eosinophil percentages and delta Mch, i.e., the increased non-specific bronchial reactivity, which is observed after allergen challenge (r = 0.55; p < 0.05). Thus, in stable asthmatic patients an ongoing activation of eosinophils parallels their migration, but this eosinophilic inflammation is not strictly related to bronchial reactivity to Mch. By contrast, after allergen inhalation challenge, eosinophil recruitment and activation seem to follow different temporal kinetics, and eosinophilic inflammation may be partially associated with the degree of airway hyperresponsiveness.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

(ECTO) nucleotidase kinetics observed by 31P-NMR spectroscopy: resolution of signals.

We used 31P-NMR to study the action of the drug ouabain, a digitalis glycoside, on the ecto-nucleotidase catalysed reaction pathway: [formula: see text] Even under conditions where it was impossible to resolve all resonances from the individual species, the rate constants for the individual steps may be evaluated by a chi 2 fit of equations describing the global kinetics to the NMR data. The fitted values of the reaction rate constants show no inhibition of any step in the reaction pathway, confirming previous results. This improved kinetic method can be used to evaluate the effect of different substrates, ions and drugs, both in intact or pathologically altered organs and in tissue subcellular fractions.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

PubMed1997

Spectral analysis of intercycle heart fluctuations in the diethyl-ether-anaesthetized or pithed rat treated with l-hyoscyamine.

1. Within the context of neural regulation of the activity of sinus node pacemaker cells, the study of heart rate variability, as explored in the frequency domain by spectral analysis, was proposed about 15 years ago as a quantitative tool for the evaluation of short-term autonomic cardiovascular control. It has since been postulated that the two main oscillations observed, one at low and the other at high frequency, may respectively be markers of sympathetic vs. vagal efferent cardiac activity, and that the low- and high-frequency signals may reflect a reciprocal or 'push-pull' relationship between sympathetic and parasympathetic control. 2. In our power spectra assessment, ECG R-R intervals were submitted to fast Fourier transformation analysis in order to study the mechanisms underlying the control of heart beats in rats. Data were acquired in conditions of steady arterial blood pressure and cardiac and respiratory activity (spontaneous or artificially stimulated) in diethyl-ether-anaesthetized and pithed rats, as well as in a group of control rats, all in the presence and absence of l-hyoscyamine. 3. With increasing doses of the parasympathetic antagonist, the fractal dimension of the time-series structure remained stable in most cases. The low-frequency spectral component narrowed with increasing drug doses and the high-frequency band underwent either no, or only very slight, changes. 4. In these rodent assays, the low- and high-frequency signals cannot be interpreted as a push-pull relationship between sympathetic and parasympathetic control.

Anesthetics, Inhalation↗

PubMed1997

Microscopic diagnosis of blood parasites following a cytoconcentration technique.

An isotonic fixative (formalin and thimerosal) solution, with a saponin additive to lyse erythrocytes and platelets, has been developed. The formalin and thimerosal ensure good preservation of blood parasites. This fixative has led to the development of a new concentration technique using cytocentrifugation (cytospin) in the search for Plasmodium spp., Leishmania spp., and microfilariae, as well as leukocytes in which parasites or pigment may be present. The concentration of the parasites present in the sediment from 100 microl of blood spread on a 6-mm diameter circle results in good morphology that is well stained using the usual Giemsa or Wright techniques. This new technique has the advantage of a relatively low cost and offers the possibility of isolating and identifying in the same sediment the main blood-stage parasites, with the exception of young trophozoites, of Plasmodium falciparum.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

PubMed1996

Effects of glycine on the mouse neuromuscular junction.

Glycine was applied at a range of different concentrations to test possible effects at the neuromuscular junction of the mouse. The presynaptic control of acetylcholine (ACh) release and the postsynaptic activation of the nicotinic receptor have been analysed by means of extracellular recording with an EPC7 Patch Clamp amplifier. The results indicated that glycine did not modify in a significant manner the release of ACh and the postsynaptic cholinergic receptor function. Nevertheless, a significant increase in the rate of the conformational change of the receptor-ion channel complex seemed to be noteworthy. Glycine at 30 and 300 microM increased in a dose dependent manner the decay time of the spontaneous miniature current. Concentrations of glycine exceeding 10mM completely blocked the activity of the end-plate in this preparation. In conclusion, we proved that glycine does not affect most of the parameters of neurotransmission in the mouse but, it increases the conformational change of the postsynaptic complex, perhaps inhibiting the acetylcholinesterase activity.

Animals↗

PubMed1983

[Hypocalcemia in malaria. Study of correlations with other parameters].

In a privileged observation of severe malaria contracted after laboratory contamination, we noticed a deep hypocalcemia 67 mg/l = 1.67 mmol/l. Since then we found again that hypocalcemia, connected with hypoalbuminemia, in ten other patients showing severe forms of malaria Plasmodium falciparum. The main biological datas of those four cases are summarized below. We made a systematic study of malaria cases, whatever may have been the intensity of parasitemia and clinical symptoms, and whatever the plasmodial species. For 26 non african paludisms , we found an average level of calcemia of 85 mg/l and an average hypoalbuminemia of 37 g/l = 536 mumol/l. For 30 african paludisms we found an average calcemia of 87.5 mg/l. That reduced value is statistically significant comparatively with the average value of 30 african people with no malaria 91.5 mg/l. The problem is to know if this hypocalcemia is connected only with hypoalbuminemia and if it may involve clinical or therapeutical effects.

Adult↗

PubMed1980

[Radiographic findings of joint prostheses in the hand and wrist (author's transl)].

The radiographic diagnosis of normal and abnormal findings following total joint replacement of joints at the wrist, fingers and carpal bones is presented and discussed. Knowledge of the surgically wanted and/or achieved position of the implanted material and its relation to the neighboring bone is essential for proper radiologic evaluation of possible complications, such as infection, loosening, luxation or subluxation and fracture.

Finger Joint↗

PubMed1978