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Biomedical subjects

L Coppola

Publications and source records attributed to L Coppola.

87 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Increased levels of NF-kappaB inhibitors (IkappaBalpha and IkappaBgamma) in the intestinal mucosa of Crohn's disease patients during infliximab treatment.

The treatment with infliximab is employed successfully in Crohn's disease (CD) but predictors of efficacy are lacking. Activation of the transcription factor NF-kB has been demonstrated in CD and its inhibition is one of the mechanisms by which anti-inflammatory agents exert their effects. We evaluated the production of TNFalpha by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and the levels of NF-kappaB family molecules in the intestinal mucosa during infliximab therapy in 12 patients. TNFalpha was assayed on supernatants of PBMC culture stimulated with PHA or LPS. Immunohistochemistry was also done on intestinal biopsies. In six patients, Western blot analysis of the NF-kappaB subunit Rel-A, and its inhibitors IkappaBalpha and IkappaBgamma was performed on intestinal biopsies and PBMC. The TNFalpha production by LPS stimulated PBMC showed mild changes, while it was increased by PHA-stimulated PBMC after treatment. The number of inflammatory cells in the intestinal mucosa was reduced (p<0.002) by the treatment. In five out of six cases we detected an increase of the IkappaBalpha and IkappaBgamma)inhibitor levels in intestinal biopsies after treatment. An increase of IkappaB inhibitors levels could be one of the mechanisms by which infliximab decreases NF-kappaB activity and exerts its anti-inflammatory effects.

Adult↗

[Inflammatory pseudotumor of the ileus: clinical contribution].

Inflammatory pseudotumor is a rare benign lesion; the lung and conducting airways can be the seat where is often localized. The ileal localization, reported at present, can be defined unique. In our case was very difficult to perform a right diagnosis cause the absence of pathognomonic symptoms. Surgical procedure too was not able to resolve the diagnostic problem: in fact macroscopically the lesion seemed an ileal carcinoma or Crohn's disease. Only the microscopical examination with the individuation of Russell's bodies, macrophages and other inflammatory cells can perform the right diagnosis.

Adult↗

Air pollution by gasoline exhaust fumes: effect on platelet function and blood viscosity.

Air pollution induced by automobile exhaust fumes seems to be involved in increased cardiovascular and respiratory morbidity. The effects of inhalation of such pollutant gases on platelet function and blood viscosity have not been sufficiently investigated, even if these parameters seem to be in strict correlation with cardiovascular function. Twelve healthy non-smoking volunteers were exposed for 30 minutes in a closed room to air polluted by automobile fumes. Platelet aggregation, blood viscosity, HbCO levels and P50 STD were determined before and after exposure. Cardiovascular parameters (blood pressure, heart rate and ECG) were also measured. At the end of the test, HbCO levels were significantly increased, but P50 STD was significantly reduced; an impairment of both platelet function and blood viscosity was observed. No significant changes in cardiovascular parameters were recorded. The decreases in platelet aggregation and blood viscosity were not directly correlated with either the increase in carbon monoxide levels or with the reduced P50 STD levels. It can be reasonably concluded that gasoline exhaust fumes could have been responsible for the observed alterations.

Adult↗

Mechanical anterior resection for carcinoma of the midrectum: long-term results.

Long term results are reported on 108 patients treated by curative mechanical anterior resection for midrectum carcinoma. The functional results were good but there was a large number of local recurrences for carcinoma at Dukes C stage (28% of the total cases). Oncological results suggest that greater importance should be given to early diagnosis and to pathogenesis and risk factors for recurrence.

Humans↗

[Anesthesiologic management of surgery in the 1st month of life. Review of the literature and clinical contribution].

This paper reports observations on 160 patients, aged between 1 and 30 days, submitted to general anaesthesia for surgery in the period within 1/1/81 and 31/12/84, at the Pediatric Surgery Department - Vicenza Regional Hospital. First we mentioned the main anatomo-physiological features in newborns, and on the grounds of the most recent bibliography and of our own experience, we propose a general anaesthesia record, as much as possible univocal, still bearing in mind the difficulty of this piece of advice, related to the various neonatal malformations, to the very poor conditions, and sometimes to dramatic emergency. This record as come out to be as much as possible corresponding to the main physiopathological features in newborns and doesn't modify the weak balance in these young patients.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗