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Biomedical subjects

L Bonomo

Publications and source records attributed to L Bonomo.

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Mononuclear cell subpopulations during normal pregnancy: I. Analysis of cell surface markers using conventional techniques and monoclonal antibodies.

Previous reports indicate depression of cellular immunity during pregnancy. In order to get a deeper insight into the immunoregulatory subsets of mononuclear cells in pregnant women, we analyzed the percentages of T and B lymphocytes, T cell subsets and cells expressing IgG-Fc and C3 receptors, and M1- and Ia-like antigens in venous blood samples from healthy women and pregnant women at different gestational ages and after delivery. Even if a trend toward a progressive decrease of T lymphocytes and T4+ helper subset was observed throughout pregnancy, along with a slight increase in the percentages of cells bearing C3 receptors, M1, and Ia-like antigens in the second trimester of gestation, analysis of variance of our data did not demonstrate statistical significance in the observed changes. Therefore we conclude that the pregnancy-induced suppression of maternal responsiveness towards alloantigens and/or mitogens is not reflected by significant changes in the distribution of circulating mononuclear cells and immunoregulatory T-lymphocyte subsets as defined by the currently available surface marker techniques.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Analbuminemia (a quantitative albumin variant).

Serum albumin accounts for over 50% of total serum protein and contributes to a significant extent to homeostasis through such crucial functionas as colloid osmotic pressure, transport, and nutrition. Analbuminemia was first described in 1954, but only 13 additional cases have since been reported. A further case, a 30-year-old Italian women, has been recently detected by the authors. Contrary to expectations, the large majority of analbuminemic subjects appear clinically well, the only consistent finding being a slight tendency to develop ankle edema. Asthenia and moderate hypotension have been recorded in several cases. Although associated disease conditions have been described in isolated instances, no clear-cut connections have been established with the analbuminemic state. Laboratory features include increased circulating levels of cholesterol, beta-lipoproteins and esterified fatty acids, as well as elevation of acute phase reactants and immunoglobulins. Albumin turnover studies have usually shown that both mechanisms of albumin synthesis and catabolism may be impaired in these subjects. Consanguinity of the percentage is a common feature and transmission as an autosomal recessive trait has been suggested. Thus, analbuminemia appears as an exceptional 'experiment of Nature', in that it challenges the vital role of circulating albumin.

Asthenia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Osteo-articular, mammographic and thoracic films: clinical evaluation of digital view box versus conventional view box.

PURPOSE: To compare in a clinical setting a conventional view box with a digital view box (Smart Light 2000 Digital Film Viewer System, Smart Light, Israel) in the identification of osteo-articular, mammographic and thoracic lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six radiologists (two for each imaging procedure), experts in osteo-articular, mammographic and thoracic diseases, independently, compared 600 plain films (100 patient with two projections for each imaging procedure). The radiologists evaluated the films by filling-out a multiple choice questionnaire containing questions concerning the type of pathology seen and the technical quality of the radiography in terms of exposure along with specific questions concerning each of the imaging procedures. RESULTS: We observed a higher sensitivity of the digital view box for lesion identification (p<0.05); furthermore, we analyzed a greater number of radiographs, recovering technically unsuitable films, because of over or under-exposure (high or low optical density). The interreader agreement was also good (> 0.75). The better lesion perception derived from the increase luminance of the digital view box in the evaluation of higher film densities, such as in overexposed films. DISCUSSION. The technical characteristics of the digital view box reduce or eliminate negative factors that reduce perceptional performance, and often permit the recovery of films that would have otherwise been considered technically unreadable.

Arthrography↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Total body MR angiography and atherosclerosis.

The early detection of atherosclerotic vascular lesions is very important for diagnostic and interventional purposes. Traditionally, Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) is considered the reference diagnostic technique, but recently several new non-invasive procedures have been developed, like Doppler US, CT-angiography and MR-Angiography (MRA). MRA has progressively gained acceptance as a valid alternative. At present, the use of fast sequence and contrast injection allows to acquire segmental volumes within a few seconds (10-20s), with high diagnostic quality and accuracy. The systemic distribution of atherosclerosis requires the use of techniques which can assess the arterial system as exhaustively as possible. A MRA scanning protocol including all arteries from the epiaortic branches to the calf has recently been proposed with encouraging preliminary results. In this article, the relevant technical concepts in MRA and the present most important clinical findings are reported and discussed, including the proposed technique for a whole-body MR angiographic assessment of the atherosclerotic patient.

Arteriosclerosis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Clinical research on the possibility that renal cysts may be responsible for the appearance of hematuria].

New techniques of study, namely echography, urography, TC, give evidence of a great number of asymptomatic renal cysts in the everyday experience. Then also if haematuria was classically considered one of the symptoms of renal cysts, there are now many reasons to consider such evidence very infrequent, and downright there are some valid doubts that renal cysts may cause haematuria at all. So the authors have analysed 113 patients, most of them coming from Institute of Radiology of Chieti University Faculty of Medicine; all of them had renal cysts diagnosed by echographs and/or urography but only a minority were just from the beginning studied for haematuria, whereas the majority for many different symptoms. Total cases was then divided into two groups: one of 102 patients, all without haematuria; 78 of them had been studied only with echography, whereas other 24 patients had been examined both with echography and urography. The second group, of 11 cases, included all the patients who had both renal cysts and haematuria. Only in two cases of this second group was lacking evidence of any associated pathology which must be responsible for haematuria, whereas in all the other 9 cases a different aetiology of the haematuria was demonstrated, for simultaneous presence of various pathologies (cystopyelitis with associated prostatis, haemorrhagic cystitis, bladder diverticula and renal papillomas and upper urinary ways tumours), all much easier responsible by themselves of haematuria, also if with different features from case to case.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immune imbalance in the synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients: effects of intra-articular injection of thymopentin.

T cell subsets in the synovial fluid (SF) and peripheral blood (PB) of RA patients and controls suffering from different forms of chronic synovitis have been investigated. The immunological evaluation showed a reduction of CD4 subsets in RA-SF compared to RA-PB (p less than 0.001), and an almost complete absence of the suppressor-inducer/naive T cells in RA-SF compared to RA-PB and SF from patients with other forms of chronic synovitis. The CD8 subpopulation showed an increased proportion of cytotoxic cells only in RA-SF. On the basis of these results, an intra-articular immunomodulating treatment with thymopentin has been performed: its effects were characterized by an increase of CD8+CD11b+ T cells in the CD8 subset parallel to the enhancement of the suppressor-inducer/naive T cells in the CD4 subset with a statistically significant correlation. The enhanced levels of soluble CD8 decreased after treatment in RA-SF, whereas the soluble IL-2R levels were not significantly modified. Clinical evaluation showed a significative amelioration in all considered parameters.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Hepatic steatosis: combined echography-computerized tomography imaging].

The authors report their experience with the combined use of US and CT in the study of diffuse and subtotal fatty infiltration of the liver. An apparent disagreement was initially found between the two examinations in the study of fatty infiltration. Fifty-five patients were studied with US and CT of the upper abdomen, as suggested by clinics. US showed normal liver echogenicity in 30 patients and diffuse increased echogenicity (bright liver) in 25 cases. In 5 patients with bright liver, US demonstrated a solitary hypoechoic area, appearing as a "skip area", in the quadrate lobe. In 2 patients with bright liver, the hypoechoic area was seen in the right lobe and exhibited no typical US features of "skip area". Bright liver was quantified by measuring CT density of both liver and spleen. The relative attenuation values of spleen and liver were compared on plain and enhanced CT scans. In 5 cases with a hypoechoic area in the right lobe, CT findings were suggestive of hemangioma. A good correlation was found between bright liver and CT attenuation values, which decrease with increasing fat content of the liver. Moreover, CT attenuation values confirmed US findings in the study of typical "skip areas", by demonstrating normal density--which suggests that CT can characterize normal tissue in atypical "skip areas".

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Magnetic resonance imaging of the brachial plexus. Anatomy].

The brachial plexus is a difficult region to evaluate with radiological techniques. MR imaging has great potentials for the depiction of the various anatomical structures of the brachial plexus--i.e., spinal ganglion, ventral nerve rami root exit of the neural foramina, trunks and cords. Moreover, MR imaging, thanks to its direct multiplanarity, to its excellent soft-tissue contrast, and to its lack of motion artifacts, allows good evaluation of pathologic conditions in the brachial plexus, especially traumas and cancers. On the contrary CT, in spite of its high spatial resolution and good contrast, cannot demonstrate the anatomical structures of the brachial plexus. US detects superficial structures, and conventional radiographs depict only indirect changes in the adjacent lung apex and skeletal structures. From November 1989 to May 1990, 20 normal volunteers (15 males and 5 females; average age: 35 years) were studied with MR imaging. Multisection technique was employed with a dedicated coil and a primary coil. The anatomical structures of the brachial plexus were clearly demonstrated by T1-weighted sequences on the sagittal and the axial planes. T2-weighted pulse sequences on the coronal plane were useful for the anatomical definition of the brachial plexus and for eventual tissue characterization. The correct representation of the anatomical structures of the brachial plexus allowed by MR imaging with our standard technique makes MR imaging the most appropriate exam for the diagnosis of pathologic conditions in the brachial plexus, although its use must be suggested by specific clinical questions.

Adult↗