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Biomedical subjects

L Marianelli

Publications and source records attributed to L Marianelli.

54 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Vaccines and anti-rubella immunity (author's transl)].

The teratogenic effect of maternal rubella virus infection upon the offspring is well established. The present article deals with the problem of susceptibility to rubella infection among women in prepubertal and postpubertal age. The sieropositivity values in female populations from different italian areas are reported. The different types of vaccines for rubella and the preparation techniques are reviewed, and the immunity either induced by natural virus infection or acquired through vaccination is discussed. The conclusion is drawn that it is useful to offer rubella vaccine to girls and that, as far as it is known at present, the vaccine RA 27/3 is the most reliable.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Bacterial infections and resistance to antibiotics in cystic fibrosis].

Knowledge of the microbiology of pulmonary infections is critical for treatment of cystic fibrosis because sickness and mortality in this disease are mainly due to relapse occurring in the respiratory tract. The microbiology of pulmonary infections presents several singular aspects. Respiratory tract infections are caused by bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus in the early years of life and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia thereafter. The patients, who are not immune compromised, are predisposed to chronic colonization and highly transmissible bacterial strains can cause cross-infections. Bacterial also develop resistance mechanisms which make them difficult to treat. Until recently the relationship between genetic defects and a predisposition to colonization was not noted, but recent studies have allowed us to form some interesting hypothesis. The present work analyzes the principal mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, with particular reference to classic cystic fibrosis pathogens, and looks at future prospects of respiratory tract infection treatment.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa antibodies, circulating immune complexes, and anticytoplasm antibodies of neutrophils in patients with cystic fibrosis with and without Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization].

Chronic lung infections, mainly due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa), account for the most of the morbidity and mortality in CF patients. The pathogenic factors predisposing to airway colonization are still nuclear. Host's immune response is not only poorly protective but can also act as a damaging factor in the development of the disease. Moreover, clinical manifestations of an overactive immune response, including vasculitis and arthropathy, have been recently described in the CF population. To deepen factors involved in the pathogenesis of lung injury, we evaluated the presence of anti-Pa precipitating antibodies, circulating immune complexes (CIC) and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) in sera from 50 CF patients colonized and not by Pa. Number of anti-Pa precipitins was significantly different in chronically and in not colonized patients (p < 0.001; t = 7.75). Anti-Pa antibodies were positively correlated to age (p = 0.002, r = 0.42) and inversely correlated to lung function parameters (p = 0.031 r = -0.35 with respect to FVC). Mean C3-CIC levels in the sera were statistically higher in chronically colonized patients (p = 0.013; t = 2.57); while there was not a significant difference with respect to C1q-CIC values. Four patients, all chronically colonized by Pa, were ANCA-positive at indirect immunofluorescence, showing a cytoplasmic pattern. All 50 patients were found to be negative when tested for anti-mpo and anti-pr3 antibodies with ELISA. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that persistence of Pa provides a stimulus for chronic inflammation and the immune response in CF patients, leading to anti-Pa antibodies and CIC production. Even in the face of further research, we speculate that c-ANCA production is secondary to neutrophil activation with a consequent release of cytoplasmic enzymes that perpetuate and increase the inflammatory process. Since anti-mpo and anti-pr3 antibodies rarely occur in CF patients we suggest that other antigenic specificities may be involved in ANCA production.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Azlocillin in the treatment of pulmonary infections in patients with cystic fibrosis: plasma concentrations and therapeutic indications].

Azlocillin plasma concentrations have been studied in 10 cystic fibrosis patients suffering from chronic pulmonary infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Patients were given single i.v. doses of 100 e 200 mg/kg body weight as intravenous infusion over 30 minutes. Azlocillin plasma levels have been assayed by a rapid, sensitive and precise high performance liquid chromatographic method. After the dose of 100 mg/kg body weight concentrations of azlocillin decreased below the therapeutic concentrations after three hours; dose of 200 mg/kg was followed by plasma concentrations in the therapeutically desirable range during the 6-8 hours study period. The pharmacokinetic analysis offers further evidence of the dose-dependent nature of azlocillin elimination. Higher dosage of 200 mg/kg body weight and monitoring of plasma drug levels are recommended in the therapy of patients with cystic fibrosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Pharmacokinetics of oral theophylline. Comparison between asthmatic and cystic fibrosis patients].

The pharmacokinetics of oral theophylline at steady-state were comparatively investigated in 13 asthmatic patients and in 10 patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). In all patients, the drug was administered twice daily as slow-release tablets. The total daily dose of theophylline ranged from 10.8 to 29.4 mg/kg/day. For each patient, the time-course of theophylline steady-state plasma levels was studied after the morning dose. Six serial plasma samples were drawn at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 h after dosing. Model-independent methods were used for calculating the pharmacokinetics parameters (area under the curve and clearance). The clearance values (mean +/- SD) calculated in the two patient groups were significantly different (asthmatic patients: clearance = 61.2 +/- 15.6 ml/h/kg; CF patients: clearance = 86.3 +/- 22.8 ml/h/kg; P = 0.007). It has previously been shown that the clearance of theophylline after single dose is increased in CF patients. Our study confirms this finding under steady-state conditions and demonstrates that higher theophylline doses are on the average required to treat patients with FC.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Our experience with antibiotic therapy in children hospitalized between 1979 and 1981].

The use of antibiotics in the Children Hospital of Florence has been studied considering the whole hospital for 1979 and only one department for 1980-81. 7832 clinical records of children admitted to the Hospital have been analyzed in order to get more informations about the quality of antibiotic treatment and to understand the causes of use and misuse of this kind of drugs in pediatric practice.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Pseudomonas aeruginosa antibodies in patients with cystic fibrosis: clinical implications].

Patients chronically colonised by P. aeruginosa develop a pronounced antibody response against P. aeruginosa that can be used to discriminate between superficial colonization and chronic infection. Anti-P. aeruginosa antibodies fail to afford protection against this pathogen; moreover high levels of antibodies are correlated with a poor prognosis. We investigated the significance of anti-P. aeruginosa antibodies (precipitins) by crossed immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) in 94 patients attending the Cystic Fibrosis Center of Florence. The highest numbers of precipitins were found in serum from patients chronically colonized in comparison to those patients who were transiently or not colonized. A negative correlation was found between the number of precipitin peaks and clinical conditions, evaluated with Schwachman score, and the number of precipitins and pulmonary functions. In summary, anti-P. aeruginosa antibodies fail to protect against P. aeruginosa bronchopulmonary infections, and are correlated to a more severe disease. Based on our experience, P. aeruginosa antibodies can be considered a reliable index of lung damage.

Adolescent↗