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Biomedical subjects

L Boiardi

Publications and source records attributed to L Boiardi.

69 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Inflammatory changes of hip synovial structures in polymyalgia rheumatica.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hip inflammatory lesions and to evaluate the accuracy of clinical examination compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) with pelvic girdle symptoms. Secondary end-point was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography (US) compared to MRI in the assessment of hip lesions. METHODS: Case-control study of 20 consecutive PMR patients and 40 controls with different rheumatic conditions. Both groups were clinically assessed for the presence of hip synovitis, trochanteric, iliopsoas and ischiogluteal bursitis. Hip MRI was performed in all case-patients and in 10 controls. Both groups were examined by US. An additional group of 10 healthy controls was examined by hip US. RESULTS: Both MRI and US detected trochanteric bursitis in 100% of PMR patients, bilateral in 18/20 (90%), and in 12/40 (30%) controls (p < 0.001). Hip synovitis was detected in 17/20 (85%) by MRI and in 9/20 (45%) by US (p < 0.02) in case-patients and in 18/40 (45%) controls. In PMR, MRI and US showed iliopsoas bursitis in 10/20 (50%) and 6/20 (30%) and ischiogluteal bursitis in 5/20 (25%) and 4/20 (20%) with no differences compared to controls. Clinical examination showed a good accuracy for hip synovitis, trochanteric and ischiogluteal bursitis, while it overestimated the presence of iliopsoas bursitis. US was less sensitive than MRI for the detection of hip synovitis and iliopsoas bursitis (53% and 60%). CONCLUSION: Trochanteric bursitis represents the most frequent hip lesion in PMR. A careful physical examination allows to detect all inflammatory lesions excluding iliopsoas bursitis. US is less sensitive than MRI in the assessment of hip synovitis and iliopsoas bursitis.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Long-term outcome of giant cell arteritis.

Giant cell arteritis is usually a self-limiting disease with a variable duration of months to years. However, in a subset of patients the disease may follow a protracted course, requiring long-term treatment with glucocorticoids. To date, glucocorticoids are the only agents whose efficacy has been unquestionably proven. More specifically, they can both improve the clinical symptoms of giant cell arteritis and also prevent its complications, including visual loss. Glucocorticoids therapy is notoriously fraught with numerous side effects, therefore it is sensible to taper glucocorticoids as quickly as possible. Flares are not uncommon and tend often to occur upon tapering of glucocorticoids dosage or on withdrawal of glucocorticoids therapy. However, in most cases flares are mild and appear to respond favorably to an increase in glucocorticoids dosage or reintroduction of glucocorticoids therapy, respectively. Mortality rates of giant cell arteritis patients are comparable to those of the general population, but there is evidence for an increased frequency of potentially life-threatening ischemic events, such as myocardial infarction and cerebro-vascular accidents, especially early on in the disease course. The risk conferred by the disease appears to decrease with time, presumably as a consequence of glucocorticoids treatment, whereas it can remain significantly elevated in patients whose disease activity is not sufficiently controlled by the treatment. By contrast, there is no evidence that giant cell arteritis is associated with an increased prevalence of malignancies or that it may represent a paraneoplastic syndrome.

Blindness↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship between serum cholesterol and thromboxane B2 levels and atherosclerotic lesions in rabbits fed a high cholesterol diet.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of diet induced hypercholesterolemia and associated atherosclerosis in rabbits on serum thromboxane B2 levels. We have determined thromboxane B2 in serum of hypercholesterolemic rabbits with atherosclerosis and in normocholesterolemic rabbits without atherosclerosis. Our data show only a mildly higher serum thromboxane levels in hypercholesterolemic rabbits and extensive atherosclerosis than in controls without atherosclerosis. In conclusion, these results show that diet induced hypercholesterolemia was not associated with thromboxane B2 generation, in spite of a diffuse experimental atheromatosis.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Progression of induced aortic atherosclerosis in rabbits fed a high cholesterol diet.

In this study we have evaluated the progression of atheromatosis in aortic arch, thoracic aorta and abdominal aorta in rabbits fed a high cholesterol diet. The aortic atheromatosis decreased progressively from the aortic arch to the abdominal aorta after 6 months of high cholesterol diet. It is possible that a different segmental resistance to hypercholesterolemic damage may be involved in the cranio caudal progression of atheromatosis in rabbits.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Amikacin-induced liver toxicity: correlations between biochemical indexes and ultrastructural features in an experimental model.

In previous studies, aminoglycosides (AG) as gentamicin (G), dibekacin (D), tobramycin (T), netilmicin (N) and Sysomicin (S) were proved to induce ultrastructural alterations in the liver of experimental animals. The aim of this studies is to investigate the effect of amikacin (AK) on rabbit liver which is commonly used in infections resistant to other AG; this was done studying both the common blood parameters and ultrastructural changes. The study was accomplished in 24 New-Zealand rabbits, twelve received 20 mg/kg AK every 12 hours for 2 weeks. Thereafter the animals were anesthesized and liver slices were obtained for transmission electron microscopy. As results obvious signs of primary and secondary microcholestasis associated to mitochondrial cristae detachment and phospholipid aggregations were noted; this last finding was less marked when compared to previous studies employing other AG. In the AK treated group, blood tests showed a significant increased in only Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) and an insignificant rise in AST levels. Our findings are consistent with an AK induced liver toxicity albeit less evident with respect to the other AG.

Amikacin↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Ultrastructural study of the liver in rabbits treated with diclofenac].

The existence of alterations of common indexes of hepatic function, and the case-reports of acute hepatitis after the use of diclofenac sodium are the rationale for this experimental study, in which 8 rabbits were given 15 mg/kg day of diclofenac, to check ultrastructural modifications with respect to a control group. The analysis showed the typical signs of primary and secondary microcholestasis, indicating the existence of liver distress. This finding, from a clinical standpoint, suggests caution in the administration of this drug, chiefly in the hepatopathic patients.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels in rheumatoid arthritis: correlation with clinical and immunological parameters and with the response to auranofin treatment.

OBJECTIVE: 38 untreated patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were studied to evaluate the relationship between serum sIL-2R levels and laboratory and clinical indexes of disease activity and circulating lymphocyte subpopulations. Furthermore, we serially analyzed the correlation between the clinical response to oral gold (Auranofin) treatment and serum sIL-2R levels in 28 RA patients. METHODS: Patients received a complete rheumatological examination at entry and every 3 months during the study. A complete biochemical analysis was executed every month. Serum sIL-2R levels were evaluated before entering and at the 3rd and 6th month by ELISA: Phenotype analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was performed by a two-color technique using the association of specific monoclonal antibodies. Samples were analyzed by a FACS-scan 440 cytofluorimeter with a single Argonion laser. RESULTS: Serum sIL-2R were significantly higher in RA patients than in controls and had a significant negative correlation with disease duration and a positive correlation with serum IgG and C3 levels. A significant positive correlation was found between serum sIL-2R levels and circulating CD3 + HLADR+, CD3-HLADR+ and CD20 + CD5-cells. After 6 months of auranofin therapy no differences in serum sIL-2R in comparison with basal levels were found in either responders or in non-responders. CONCLUSION: Serum sIL-2R level is not a good index of activity in RA patients and is not a useful marker of response to AU therapy.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Low molecular weight IgM in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Low molecular weight IgM (LMW IgM), the monomeric subunit of pentameric IgM, was measured in the serum of 27 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome. LMW IgM was also measured in a control group consisting of 24 patients with psoriatic arthritis (PA) and 8 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). LMW IgM was found in the majority of patients with primary SS (63%) and those patients had a longer disease duration than those without SS (80.7 +/- 43.9 months vs 37 +/- 18.3, p = 0.01). Although the differences were not significant, SS patients with LMW IgM showed higher rates of: seropositive disease (71% vs 50%), anti-Ro (59% vs 30%) and anti-La antibodies (12% vs 0%), extraglandular involvement (76% vs 60%) and raised gammaglobulins levels (47% vs 30%) compared to those without LMW IgM. Our only two patients with active RA and vasculitis had LMW IgM. None of the patients with PA showed LMW IgM, regardless of their Kammer subgroup classification, disease activity or radiological evidence of erosions. The presence of LMW IgM in a high percentage of patients with primary SS appears to be the expression of a dysregulation of B cell state that may predispose these patients to developing malignant lymphoproliferation.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunohistochemical analysis of an additional case of focal myositis.

We present an additional case of focal myositis which, after surgical excision of the muscular mass, did not evolve to generalized polymyositis. To our knowledge immunological evaluations of this disease have never before been carried out. Immunohistochemical analysis of the muscular mass showed the presence of activated endothelial cells, CD4 and macrophage cells in the perivascular and endomysial areas, suggesting an immune-mediated mechanism of muscular damage. At the same time the normal distribution of the peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations and the normal levels of serum IL-1 beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha, soluble IL-2R and soluble CD8 underline the non-systemic nature of the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Elevated serum concentrations of the chemokine RANTES in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of serum concentrations of chemotactic cytokines (chemokines) in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica at disease diagnosis and during a six-month period of corticosteroid treatment. METHODS: Sera were obtained from patients at the time of PMR diagnosis and subsequently after one week, two weeks, one month, three months and six months. At each time point a clinical and laboratory evaluation was performed. Serum concentrations of IL-8, GRO alpha, RANTES, MCP-1, and MIP1 alpha were evaluated by commercial ELISA kits. RESULTS: Only RANTES serum levels were significantly higher in PMR patients than in controls. No correlation was found between RANTES concentrations and laboratory and clinical features. Chemokine levels reached their lowest level after one month of steroid treatment and remained in the normal range thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: The production of RANTES is enhanced in untreated PMR patients; corticosteroid treatment results in a normalization of chemokine levels.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗