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Biomedical subjects

G Nigro

Publications and source records attributed to G Nigro.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

On the role of emotional traits in impression formation.

280 Italian undergraduates (90 men and 190 women), ages 18 to 30 years, rated a warm, cold, jealous, or envious stimulus person on 15 7-point semantic differential scales. Varying the sex of the stimulus person, 8 different versions of the description were obtained. Factor analysis, carried out to identify a smaller set of non-redundant dimensions, yielded three factors. A multivariate analysis of variance, 4 (warm, cold, jealous, envious) x 2 (male stimulus person, female stimulus person) x 2 (male respondents, female respondents), indicated significant effects for the variable "trait" on the first and second factors, an interaction between the sex of the stimulus person and the sex of the respondent on the first factor, and an effect for the sex of the respondent on the second factor. The traits "envious" and "jealous" acted as central qualities, and the sex of the stimulus person and of the respondent played an important role in impression formation. Further implications of the finding were discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Low cholesterol and pathological manifestations].

The paper reviews the literature on the association between hypocholesterolemia and various pathologies. There are few studies on this topic and these are often fragmented and uncertain, in particular with regard to children. However, studies with a wide statistical basis have focused on the different stages of adulthood. There does not appear to be a genuine link between "low cholesterol" and disease in childhood, although the contrary would appear to be true. The authors invite pediatricians to examine this aspect further in view of the major repercussions that it may have on a wide range of factors. For this reason the authors consider it worthwhile presenting this innovative topic and field of research.

Cholesterol↗
PubMed1993

Multiple viral infections in HIV-infected children with chronically-evolving hepatitis.

Hepatic involvement was investigated in 31 children with perinatal HIV-1 infection, who were followed for 2-82 months (mean 30.5). Liver disease, as revealed by increased aminotransferase levels, liver biopsy or necroscopy, was diagnosed in 18 children (58%), of which 7 (22.5%) had acute hepatitis and 11 (35.5%) showed chronic liver disease. Overall, 40 persistently active or recurrent viral infections, as demonstrated by positive culture and/or detection of serum DNA, specific IgM, IgA and high levels of IgG, were revealed in the children with liver disease, while 12 similar infections were detected in 13 children without liver disease (p < 0.001). In particular, the children with liver disease showed a significantly (p < 0.002) higher incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections than children without liver disease (13 versus 3). Moreover, hepatitis C and B virus infections were revealed only in children with liver disease (5 and 1 patients, respectively). Clinical outcome showed a significantly (p < 0.001) higher mean survival in the children without liver disease than those with liver disease (47.5 versus 18.2 months). In fact, nine of the children with liver disease (50%) died, as opposed to only one of the children without liver disease (7.7%; p = 0.01). Based on these findings, liver disease is indicative of a poor prognosis in children with HIV infection, being related to the presence of multiple active viral infections.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1993

Symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection in two consecutive sisters.

The occurrence of symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in two consecutive sisters is reported. The first sibling showed hepatosplenomegaly with slight hyperbilirubinaemia and abnormal liver function tests, right inguinal hernia, and peripheral lymphoedema. Her sister, the product of an uneventful pregnancy showing no signs of CMV reactivation, had life threatening CMV disease, including microcephaly, hepatitis with high serum bilirubin concentrations, and thrombocytopenic purpura.

Cytomegalovirus Infections↗
PubMed1993

Criticism of the International Nomenclature of Constitutional Diseases of Bone.

The International Nomenclature of Constitutional Diseases of Bone is criticised and the concept of embryonic osteochondropathy is proposed as an alternative approach. It is claimed for example that the term "constitutional" has no real scientific or, above all, medical meaning. The defects of this "official" nomenclature are highlighted and a slimmer classification system of use in the diagnosis of osteochondroblastic mesenchymopathies is recommended.

Bone Diseases, Developmental↗
PubMed1992

Hepatitis in children with thalassemia major.

Since thalassemia major patients are transfusion dependent, they are at a particularly high risk of contracting post-transfusion hepatitis. In this study, 36 transfusion-dependent children were followed up for evidence of viral hepatitis. Of 23 with increased ALT levels, 17 were anti-CMV and 12 were anti-HCV positive, 9 were positive for both CMV and HCV. Of 13 children with normal transaminase levels, 5 were CMV positive and 3 were HCV positive. These results show that CMV may be a very common cause of non-A, non-B hepatitis in transfusion dependent thalassemic children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Hepatitis in pre-school children: prevalent role of cytomegalovirus.

Virological and serological investigations were performed on 8 children with clinical and/or laboratory signs of hepatitis. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) appeared as the most frequently involved etiologic agent, since it was associated with 5 severe or chronically-evolving cases. Out of the other 3 patients with non-CMV associated hepatitis, all completely recovering, two had clinically typical Epstein-Barr virus infections, while the remaining patient had an asymptomatic HBV infection.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

The cardiomyopathy of Duchenne/Becker consultands.

Clinical, electrocardiographic, echocardiographic and other instrumental examinations were performed on 233 persons primarily seeking genetic advice about the Duchenne/Becker gene in order to reveal the incidence of dystrophic cardiomyopathy in a population of females with a close relationship with patients suffering from Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy. Among these consultands, 210 were Duchenne and 23 Becker. Eight five (40.4%) Duchenne and 8 (34.8%) Becker consultands showed a normal cardiac status; 35 (16.6%) Duchenne and 6 (26.1%) Becker had clinically evident cardiomyopathy; 90 (43%) Duchenne and 9 (39.1%) Becker showed minor signs of myocardial involvement. The link between myocardial involvement and the Duchenne/Becker carrier condition was demonstrated through the observation that the percentage of cases showing pre-clinical or clinically evident cardiomyopathy was higher in the consultands with pathological values of serum creatine kinase activity (obligatory carriers) and/or an estimated genetic risk higher than 70% than in the consultands showing a normal value of serum creatine kinase activity (less than 80 U/l) and/or a genetic risk lower than 70%.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Acute hepatitis in childhood: virological, immunological and clinical aspects.

Virological, immunological and clinical findings in 7 previously healthy children, aged 18 months to 11 years, with viral hepatitis are reported. Asymptomatic and fully recovering, although protracted, hepatitis B was diagnosed by chance in a 1 1/2 year-old boy. Anicteric and short-term hepatitis occurred in three children with Epstein-Barr virus infection, concomitantly with typical mononucleosis syndrome. On the contrary, cytomegalovirus (CMV)-associated hepatitis was severe and protracted in two children, and fatal in a 4-year-old girl, whose main autoptic finding was submassive hepatic necrosis. Therefore, our study showed that acute viral hepatitis in non-immunocompromised children is generally self-limited and that CMV hepatitis is more frequent and severe than commonly believed.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

Detection of a nonsense mutation in the dystrophin gene by multiple SSCP.

A combination of multiplex PCR with the single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) technique was employed to screen for point mutations in the human dystrophin gene. Co-amplification of 11 exons from genomic DNA of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD) patients with no deletion or duplication was performed and the samples subjected to multiple SSCP analysis. We report the case of a nonsense mutation in a Duchenne patient identified by this approach. The mutation introduces a termination codon within exon 8 of the dystrophin gene. It is predicted to cause a very premature translational termination accounting for the severe phenotype observed. The patient inherited this mutation from his mother. In addition the analysis revealed 5 polymorphisms useful for internal control.

Codon↗
PubMed1992

Parvovirus infection in children with AIDS: high prevalence of B19-specific immunoglobulin M and G antibodies.

OBJECTIVE: Investigation of the prevalence and pathogenic role of parvovirus B19 infection in Italian and Rumanian children with AIDS, compared with age-matched HIV-negative children (controls) with various recurrent infections of unknown aetiology. DESIGN: Detection of B19-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG antibodies as the most indicative markers of past or current B19 infection. METHODS: B19 antibodies were detected by two enzyme immunoassays using synthetic peptide or recombinant protein, which corresponded to different B19 epitopes, as coating antigens. RESULTS: B19 IgM and IgG were seen in 10 out of 20 (50%) Italian and in 20 out of 51 (39.2%) Rumanian children with AIDS, in contrast to none out of 17 Italian and one out of 22 Rumanian controls (P less than 0.001). In addition, two Italian controls (11.8%), two Rumanian children with AIDS (3.9%), and two Rumanian controls (9.1%) had B19 IgM alone. Specific IgG alone was detected in eight (40%) Italian and 14 (27.5%) Rumanian children with AIDS, and in seven (41.2%) Italian and four (10.2%) Rumanian controls. CONCLUSIONS: While it is possible to attribute some B19 infections in Rumanian children to blood transfusion, the source was unknown for Italian children. However, in three of the Italian children who had B19 IgM and IgG persistently for 15-22 months, and in a 2-month-old Italian infant with B19 IgM and IgG, HIV might have activated a congenital or perinatally-acquired B19 infection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1991

Pancreatitis with hypoglycemia-associated convulsions following rotavirus gastroenteritis.

A case of acute pancreatitis and hypoglycemia-associated convulsions following rotavirus gastroenteritis, occurring in a previously healthy 2-year, 8-month-old girl, is reported. Rotavirus infection was demonstrated both by detection of virus particles in stools by electron microscopy and Rotazyme Abbott, and by detection of specific serum IgM and IgG antibodies. Pancreatitis was revealed by raised serum amylase and lipase levels and by ultrasonographic findings. Moreover, transient islet cell antibodies were found. No abnormalities were revealed by clinical and laboratory follow-up studies. As suggested by this case report, further investigations on the possible pancreatic involvement by rotavirus may be helpful.

Acute Disease↗