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Biomedical subjects

L Conti

Publications and source records attributed to L Conti.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Familial optic atrophy with sex-influenced severity. A new variety of autosomal-dominant optic atrophy?

A family is described with 20 members in three successive generations affected by optic atrophy without other ocular or extraocular manifestations. The anomaly was transmitted as an autosomal-dominant character. There was a clearly bimodal distribution of severity: 4 male patients complained of severe impairment of vision since childhood while 16 other subjects (7 males and 9 females) were completely asymptomatic. This family could be an example of a new variety of autosomal dominant optic atrophy characterized by sex-influenced severity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

The use of a computerized system in defining the therapeutic spectrum of antidepressants.

Few substantial improvements have been made in the development of detailed and logical methodologies and techniques for analysing, documenting and presenting information acquired during clinical trials on psychotherapeutic agents. This results in a loss of information and makes it impossible to compare or combine data derived from different clinical trials, even on the same drug. We believe that a more extensive utilization of the large amount of data collected in clinical trials may be derived through the use of computerized systems for analysing and documenting such data. With the purpose of studying computer-based data documentation techniques, at the Institute of Clinical Psychiatry of the University of Pisa there has been jointly established by the US National Institute of Mental Health and the University of Pisa a Centre for Clinical Psychopharmacology Data Documentation (CCPDD). The major objective of the CCPDD is to enhance the quality of clinical trials of psychotherapeutic agents by improving computer-based data documentation techniques which allow more understandable, comprehensive, exhaustive and standardized data analysis and data presentation. The CCPDD operates the Biometric Laboratory Information Processing System/Data Bank for Psychopharmacology (BLIPS/DBP), a fully computerized system designed to process any type of assessment data in standardized ways providing the basic documentation for each clinical trial.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Mutagenicity of trichloroethylene, trichloroethanol and chloral hydrate in Aspergillus nidulans.

A trichloroethylene (TCE) sample, free of epoxides, has been assayed for its ability to induce gene mutations (methionine suppressors) and mitotic segregation in the mould Aspergillus nidulans. No increase in the spontaneous frequency of methionine suppressors was observed when conidia of a haploid strain were plated on selective medium and exposed to TCE vapours. A weak but statistically significant increase in methionine suppressors was detected, however, when conidia of cultures grown and conidiated in the presence of TCE vapours were plated onto selective media. Growing colonies of a heterozygous diploid strain were exposed to TCE vapours to investigate the induction of mitotic segregation. Scoring and phenotypic analysis of segregant sectors showed a significant increase in the frequency of haploids and 'non-disjunctional' diploids but not of cross-overs. Treatment of quiescent conidia in liquid medium was ineffective. Trichloroethanol and chloral hydrate, two main TCE metabolites in mammals, shared the ability to induce somatic segregation demonstrated by TCE vapours. On the grounds of these results the possible endogenous metabolic conversion of TCE into trichloroethanol and chloral hydrate is hypothesized.

Aspergillus nidulans↗
PubMed1985

Evans' syndrome in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

We describe the first case of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria with Evans' syndrome. The immunohematological studies of this patient, a 27-year-old man, revealed the presence of red cell and platelet autoantibodies, related to an episode of anemia and thrombocytopenia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Induction of somatic segregation by halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons in Aspergillus nidulans.

8 halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons were assayed for their ability to induce somatic segregation in the mould Aspergillus nidulans. Induction of haploidization, mitotic non-disjunction and mitotic crossing-over was studied in heterozygous colonies exposed to the tested chemicals through the detection and phenotypic analysis of segregated sectors. The results obtained show that 1,2-dibromoethane induced all kinds of segregated sectors; 1,2-dichloroethane, allyl chloride, 2-chloroethanol, 2,2-dichloroethanol and 2,2-dichloroacetaldehyde significantly increased the frequency of haploid sectors and diploid non-disjunctional sectors; chloroform and 1,2-dichloropropane were ineffective.

Aspergillus nidulans↗
PubMed1984

Detection of drug-dependent IgG antibodies with antiplatelet activity by the antiglobulin consumption assay.

Drug-induced thrombocytopenia is a common acquired hemorrhagic disorder. In this study 32 patients with drug-induced thrombocytopenia were examined with the antiglobulin consumption assay. Platelet-associated IgG was elevated in 19 of 20 patients that were analyzed. An increase in serum platelet bindable IgG was observed in 24 subjects after the addition of various drugs (acetylsalicylic acid, noraminopyrine, antibiotics, sulfamides, digoxin, heparin and chenodeoxycholic acid). These findings are significant for the presence of drug-dependent platelet antibodies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Effect of cholinergic and anticholinergic drugs on short-term memory in Alzheimer's dementia: a neuropsychological and computerized electroencephalographic study.

A correlation was found among the degree of memory loss, intellectual impairment, the quantity of senile plaques, and a decrease in choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase activity in patients affected by senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. In this study, patients were subjected to a series of computerized electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings and neuropsychological evaluations after acute administration of the following drugs: placebo; the cholinergic drugs physostigmine, pyridostigmine bromide, and edrophonium chloride; and the anticholinergic drugs scopolamine and orphenadrine. The results obtained show that the acute administration of some cholinergic drugs improved memory and attention performances, whereas the anticholinergic drugs induced opposite effects. The cholinergic drugs exhibited a tendency to shift the EEG spectrum analysis into more normal patterns compatible with the patient's age. This study supports the view that the cholinergic system plays an important role in memory and attention disturbances found in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

Evaluation of 2 different genetic markers for the detection of frameshift and missense mutagens in A. nidulans.

21 chemicals, known to induce missense and/or frameshift mutations directly, were assayed for their ability to forward mutate a haploid strain of A. nidulans. 2 genetic markers for forward mutations were used, namely 8-azaguanine resistance and induction of meth A1 suppressors. Missense mutagens were usually active when tested with the plate-incorporation technique, whereas frameshift agents were ineffective; some of these, on the other hand, turned out to be positive when tested with a liquid-test procedure. The 2 genetic markers used showed a similar sensitivity (with only 2 exceptions) in detecting the chemical mutagens assayed.

Aspergillus nidulans↗
PubMed1982

A double-blind clinical trial of nomifensine vs. amitriptyline in depressed patients.

This article describes a controlled clinical trial comparing nomifensine and amitriptyline in endogenously depressed inpatients. It is also the first trial of the ICPP-BLIPS, a computer based clinical trial data documentation system. Using strict methodological criteria, careful quality control and comprehensive and systematic data display and data analysis, we have been able to show clearcut efficacy differences between nomifensine and amitriptyline (favouring the later) and clearcut differences in the profile of side effects between these drugs. Future studies utilizing this methodology are recommended were definitive and documented results of clinical trials are desired.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Some considerations on the role of benzodiazepines in the treatment of depression.

1 Benzodiazepines are regarded as pure anxiolytics, and their value in the treatment of depression is controversial. Nevertheless, symptoms of anxiety and depression coexist in patients with endogenous or neurotic depression, and clinical trials indicate that depressed patients respond better to a benzodiazepine-tricyclic antidepressant combination than to either drug alone. 2 Benzodiazepines may extend tricyclic antidepression efficacy by rapidly relieving anxiety and insomnia. Factor analysis of scores obtained using the Hamilton Depression and Self-Administered Depression Rating Scales confirm the clinical findings by revealing that a close correlation exists among anxiety, insomnia and endogenous depression. The factor analysis data seem to support the wide use of benzodiazepine-tricyclic combinations to treat depressed patients.

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗