Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G Ribera

Publications and source records attributed to G Ribera.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Persistence of immunity to poliomyelitis among a southern population that received four doses of OPV 5 to over 15 years before.

The immune status against polioviruses was investigated in a population of 545 students aged 11-20 years residing in the Neapolitan area, who had completed the vaccination cycle with four doses of OPV 5 to over 15 years before. Assuming as unprotected those individuals without detectable neutralizing antibodies at the dilution 1:2, nobody resulted without protection against all types of poliovirus; 0.7% lacked antibodies only against type 1, 0.6% only against type 3 and none against type 2. A very slight decreasing trend was observed for GMT values in function of the distance from the last dose of OPV for polio 1 and 2, but not for polio 3. As expected, GMT values for polio 2 resulted higher than those for polio 1 and both were higher than those for polio 3, when calculated by age groups as well as by distance groups. The last four Italian cases of autochthonous paralytic poliomyelitis, occurred in the period 1981/83, regarded unvaccinated children aged 6 months-2 years, residing in the same geographical area to which the study population belong. In the same area a delay of immunization practices was also ascertained in the recent past. Results of this study confirm that a priority for public health services is to devote their human and economic resources to reduce the vaccination delay more than administrate a further fifth dose of OPV at the age of twelve.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Effective antibody response in newborn babies living in Maldives to simultaneous vaccination against hepatitis B, poliomyelitis, diphtheria and tetanus.

The antibody responses of Maldivian infants early in their life to simultaneous immunization against hepatitis B virus, poliomyelitis, diphtheria and tetanus were investigated. The vaccines were given at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age. Among 243 newborn babies from HBsAg-negative mothers, 103 received three doses of oral poliomyelitis (OPV) and diphtheria and tetanus (DTV) vaccines; 105 were similarly immunized but received in addition the recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (HBV); 35 were immunized with the HBV recombinant vaccine alone. The antibody response to all of the vaccines was effective. No significant differences among the groups were observed. Hepatitis B vaccination of infants neither affected nor was affected by the contemporary administration of OPV and DTV vaccines.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

A study of a hospital cluster of systemic candidosis using DNA typing methods.

A cluster of disseminated Candida albicans infections, which occurred at the Intensive Care Unit of the Department of Heart Surgery, was investigated. Ten patients became infected and seven died. A wide microbiological surveillance was carried out. A total of 14 isolates of Candida albicans, four environmental and ten human, were examined using the Restriction Endonuclease Analysis (REA) of DNA. The isolates were classified into five different main groups. Five of the clinical isolates had the predominant pattern Ab and two more clinical strains were very closely related. Two more isolates from the emergency kit desk and the hands of a nurse gave the same REA profile. Such a relationship proved the epidemic nature of the cluster, with most of the patients cross-infected, and strongly suggested transmission on the hands of the staff as a determinant of the epidemic. Thus, REA has the potential to address many important questions in the study of nosocomial epidemiology of Candida albicans.

Candida albicans↗
PubMed1991

Neurophysiological observations on the effects of botulinum toxin treatment in patients with dystonic blepharospasm.

Botulinum toxin treatment improves dystonic blepharospasm by inducing transient paresis of the orbicularis oculi muscle. It is not known if it also reduces the enhanced brainstem neuronal excitability found in this disorder. We have performed conventional electromyography (EMG) and blink reflex excitability studies on fifteen patients with blepharospasm before and after botulinum toxin treatment. Denervation signs were found with needle EMG in all treated muscles. Amplitude of the facial compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and R1 response was reduced after botulinum toxin injections. In blink reflex excitability studies, the recovery of R2 response was enhanced after treatment even when patients were tested at the time of maximal benefit from botulinum toxin injections. The results suggest that there is little influence of botulinum toxin treatment upon the enhanced excitability of brainstem interneurons in patients with blepharospasm.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Viruses associated with acute respiratory infections in children admitted to hospital in Naples, 1979-82.

A survey of the virological and epidemiological features of acute respiratory diseases in children admitted to hospital in Naples has been carried out; the results of three years of research are reported.Between April 1979 and March 1982, 787 nasopharyngeal swabs were examined. There were 287 (36.5%) positive samples, with the highest isolation rate being found in children with bronchiolitis (39.5%).Among the different viruses isolated, adenovirus was the most common (161 positive samples, 56%); this agent appeared regularly in the different age and disease groups, with a marked increase in prevalence during the winter of 1980. Isolations of herpesvirus, respiratory syncytial virus and enterovirus were less frequent; however, echovirus 3 caused an epidemic in the summer of 1980. Influenza and parainfluenza viruses were seen fairly infrequently; two cases of Reye's syndrome yielded strains of influenza B.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A seroepidemiologic survey on brucellosis antibodies in southern Italy.

This study investigated the prevalence of Brucella antibodies in the general population in two regions in southern Italy. A total of 1,294 subjects were recruited from January to June 1996 among patients attending randomly selected public and private laboratories and pediatric outpatient clinics. Information on sex, age, residence, and occupation was recorded. Seroprevalence of brucellosis was studied by the safranin O-stained antigen microagglutination test. The chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were performed. An overall prevalence of brucellosis of 3.1% was recorded; no significant difference was found between the two regions, with values of 2.7% in Campania and 3.8% in Calabria. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that positivity to brucellosis was significantly associated with the province the subjects reside in, ranging from 0 in Salerno to 6.2% in Caserta, and that it significantly increased with age, ranging from 1% in persons under 16 to 4.2% in those over 65 (OR = 1.7; 95% CI = 1.04-2.6), whereas it was not significantly associated with sex. When analysis was conducted after restriction to subjects reporting to be working, occupation was found not to be significantly associated with brucellosis. Since the spread of the disease is still of concern, though circulation of Brucella is decreasing, strict application of measures for the eradication of brucellosis from livestock, pasteurization of milk and dairy products, and education regarding eating habits must be pursued.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Antibodies to the E2 protein of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus: prevalence and risk factors in different populations in Italy.

BACKGROUND: Many aspects of the epidemiology of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C) infection have not been fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of GBV-C antibodies and risk factors in different subjects living in Italy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1,005 sera were tested for the presence of antibodies to the of GBV-C E2 protein using a recently developed enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: A high prevalence of GBV-C antibodies was found in healthy blood donors (12.6%). Hemodialysis patients and drug users showed higher rates of GBV-C seropositivity (22% and 39%, respectively). Immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia had anti-GBV-C prevalence comparable to that found in Italian blood donors, whereas higher and lower rates were detected in immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean (19.5%) and from Mediterranean Africa (5.6%). CONCLUSION: GBV-C infections are widespread in the general population in Italy and particularly common in risk groups. The different prevalence of GBV-C antibodies detected in third world immigrants is likely to reflect the prevalence in the countries of origin. However, the observation that the length of residency in Italy is a significant risk factor may suggest that at least some GBV-C infections are contracted in Italy.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Levels of anti-Legionella antibodies in a healthy Neapolitan population].

Legionella pneumophila was firstly recognized as the causative agent of a serious pneumonia about a decade ago. Since then a number of studies was carried out in order to define the epidemiological and clinical features of the microorganism. So far a high variability of the geographic distribution of the infection has been reported, with prevalences up to 50% of healthy populations. Therefore, a seroepidemiological survey was carried out on prevalence of Legionella pneumophila infections among healthy people in Naples. 562 serum specimens were randomly collected and examined by the indirect fluorescent antibody technique for antibodies against serogroups 1 to 6 of Legionella pneumophila, using 1:256 as the cut off titer. An overall prevalence of 23% was observed among the 562 persons tested. 24.5% among males and 21.9% among females had antibodies against Legionella pneumophila. There were no significant differences associated with sex and age, even though an apparent increase with age was observed. The highest prevalence was found for antibodies against serogroup 3 (9.4%). This finding was confirmed in all the age-sex groups, but among males aging between 21 and 40 years and among elderly people, 12.1% of persons tested had antibodies against only one serogroup of Legionella pneumophila, whilst 5.3%, 3.4% and 2.1% of subjects had antibodies against 2, 3 and 4 serogroups respectively. No serologic cross reactivity of Legionella pneumophila groups was found among seropositivities to different serogroups.

Adolescent↗