Adult respiratory distress syndrome associated with oral cyclosporine.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to L Carbone.
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The AA. have investigated the relationship between the secretion of GH and diabetic angiopathy a group of 17 subjects with chemical diabetes during a standard dexamethasone os i.v. glucose test. The results show that functional subclinical microangiopathy was present in the majority of the diabetics studied, who also showed an exaggerated growth hormone response to glucose. Thus, these results suggest that a positive correlation exists between alterations in the secretion of growth hormone and the development of diabetic microangiopathy.
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Even though the association between liver cirrhosis and glucose tolerance alterations has been well documented, no data are available on the incidence of this association. In this paper we firstly report the results of a 4-year prospective longitudinal study performed on well-compensated cirrhotic patients with a normal glucose tolerance, in order to evaluate the incidence of glucose tolerance alterations with respect to liver efficiency during the time. The incidence of a diabetic response to a standard OGTT was 4.4% after a 1-year and 21.2% after a 4-year follow-up in stable cirrhotics. These figures are significantly higher than in the general population of our country. This large incidence was even significantly higher in cirrhotics with worsening liver efficiency at the end of the study (35.3%, P < 0.0001). Sex, family history of diabetes, alcoholic aetiology of the cirrhosis, and increment of portal hypertension do not seem to have any significant influence on the frequency of altered glucose tolerance. Therefore, we propose that liver cirrhosis and its worsening play a primary role as diabetogenic risk factors.
The antischemic effect of nitrates is known and well accepted since more than 100 years, but recently many and interesting studies about antiaggregant property of such drugs have been reported. This action would be lied to increased synthesis of GMPc. The antiaggregant property pf nitrates may be leave open the problem to include the nitrates between the drugs able to influence the prognosis of myocardial infarction both in acute and chronic phase, such as betablockers, ASA and thrombolytics.
Psittacosis marked by liver and spleen involvement and minimal pericarditis was observed in an 18-year-old patient hospitalized for fever of 1 month duration. Liver tests revealed cholestasis. Ultrasonography revealed multiple nodular formations in the liver and spleen, images confirmed on computed tomography. Liver biopsy showed granulomatous with hyperplasia of the Kupffer cells surrounded by healthy tissue. The diagnosis was confirmed by complement fixation. Treatment with tetracycline led to rapid remission of the fever and normalization of the liver tests and hepatic images.
Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. Early signs of cardiovascular disease can be detected also in asymptomatic patients with hyperlipidemia. Forty-four patients with serum cholesterol greater than 300 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/l) and/or serum triglycerides greater than 500 mg/dl (5.6 mmol/l) and 35 healthy controls had their carotid and iliac arteries examined by echo-Doppler with spectral analysis. Systolic ankle pressure was also measured. A vascular score was calculated: a 0 score was assigned to normal findings and a 1 score for each artery with abnormality at echo-Doppler or Winsor index less than 0.97. The XbaI Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism of Apo B gene was investigated in all hyperlipidemic patients. Arterial lesions, especially those of internal carotid and iliac arteries, were more frequent (p less than 0.01) in patients with high serum lipids, compared to controls. Patients with lesions were older and had higher serum triglyceride concentrations compared to those without lesions. When divided according to serum triglycerides, patients with concentrations exceeding 200 mg/dl had higher vascular score (p less than 0.02) compared to those with serum triglycerides less than 200 mg/dl. No difference in restriction fragment length polymorphism (XbaI) of Apo B gene was demonstrated in patients with arterial lesions compared to those without lesions. Non-invasive echo-Doppler examination gives useful information on the arterial involvement of hyperlipidemic patients and its use should therefore be implemented, especially when high triglyceride concentrations are present.
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The authors' experience with local excision (LE) and adjuvant radiotherapy in the treatment of selected cases of rectal cancer, is reported. 41 patients with distal rectal cancer underwent elective LE for cure. Selection criteria were: the site of tumor in the lower rectum, exophytic growth, maximum diameter equal to or lower than 4 cm, tumor "freely" mobile on the rectal wall, clinical staging T1-2 N0M0, histological grading G1-2. Patients shown to be T2 on definitive histology underwent adjuvant radiotherapy to the site of tumor and to pelvic lymph nodes. LE was performed via transanal route under general anesthesia. Operative mortality was 0% and morbidity 7.3%. In 37 cases (90%) surgery was considered radical and curative. The incidence of local recurrence was 5.4%, overall evidence of disease 8.1%, cancer-specific mortality 5.4% and 5-year actuarial survival 90%. The combination with radiotherapy has achieved similar results in T1 (22 cases) and T2 (15 cases) tumors. It is concluded that LE combined with radiotherapy in T2 tumors in selected cases represent a valid therapeutic alternative to more demolitive surgery.
Aim of this phase I-II study was to evaluate the efficacy of preoperative concomitant radiochemotherapy in resectable high risk (TNM stage: II and III) rectal tumors, 64 patients entered the study: 37 had low rectal cancer, 27 mid-rectal cancer. 50 patients were clinically staged as stage III (Dukes C) and 14 as stage II (Dukes B). Treatment protocol included bolus mitomycin C at the dose of 10 mg/m2 on day 1 and 5FU continuous infusion at the daily dose of 1000 mg/m2 on day 1, 2, 3, 4. Concomitant external radiotherapy up to a dose of 3780 cGy was delivered at the daily dose of 180 cGy. Surgery was performed 4 to 5 weeks after radiation therapy (RT). Before surgery all patients were clinically restaged to evaluate the response to concomitant radiochemotherapy. Treatment compliance was 97%. Toxicity was 27% prevalently shown as bone marrow depletion and radiodermatitis. In 37 patients (61%) there was 50% reduction (partial response) of neoplastic volume. In 5 patients (8%) no neoplastic cells were evidenced in the surgical specimen on histology (complete response). The distance between the lower margin of the tumor and the internal anal orifice increased in 72% of cases. Postoperative morbidity was 28%. The incidence of anastomotic dehiscences was 8.7% over 46 anterior resections. Postoperative mortality was nil. Definitive staging evidenced 24 patients (39%) stage I or with no evidence of tumor. The incidence of local recurrence was 5% and that of distant metastasis 8%.
The evolution of the surgical management of rectal cancer is briefly reviewed. Factors which influence the choice of the surgical procedure relatively to the tumor characteristics, are examined. The role played by preoperative staging as the basis of a correct therapeutic approach is underlined. Most common surgical procedures in rectal cancer treatment are reported, and emphasis is put on aspects of particular interest for radiodiagnosticians and radiotherapists.
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate, in a group of patients suffering of colo-rectal cancer, the influence on local recurrence of some clinical and anatomo-pathological variables. METHODS: The study was limited to 833 patients who underwent potentially curative resection and have been followed for at least two years. All patients were evaluated every six months for the first three years and yearly thereafter by means of clinical, laboratory, endoscopic and radiological investigations. Recurrence was observed in 78 patients (9.4%); 19 of these had evidence of distal failure simultaneously (2.2%). The incidence was 2.4% and 17.7% in the carcinoma of the colon and rectum respectively. Median time of recurrence was 16 +/- 11 months; 75% presents within 23 months from operation. Chi-square test was used to relate incidence of recurrence to clinical and anatomo-pathological factors and then a multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the most significant variables. RESULTS: Univariate analysis reveals a significant relationship between recurrence and age under 50 years (p = 0.01), presence of preoperative complication (p = 0.01), stage (p = 0.01), site (p = 0.000) of primary tumor and lymph-nodal involvement (p = 0.0002). No statistically significant difference was found between recurrence and tumor wall infiltration, number of lymph nodes involved, grading and morphology of primary tumor. Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed these results except for preoperative complication (p = 0.9). CONCLUSIONS: Authors believe that selection of patients to undergo adjuvant therapies is improved by identification of high-risk patients.
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