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Biomedical subjects

L Palmisano

Publications and source records attributed to L Palmisano.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

A phase I study of human natural interferon-beta in cancer patients.

In this phase I study 15 patients with metastatic tumors were given interferon (IFN)-beta by i.v. bolus injections. Twelve individual doses of 1, 2, 3.3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 16, 21, 27, 35, and 46 x 10(6) IU were administered every other day. The single maximal tolerated dose ranged from 9 to 46 x 10(6) IU. Eight patients tolerated the dose of 46 x 10(6) IU without side effects. Disturbances of cardiac rhythm were observed, but were closely related temporally to severe chills and appeared to be the consequence of adrenergic stimulation associated with this side-effect. In addition, no significant variations in the left ventricular function as assessed by nuclear stethoscope were observed. Neurotoxicity was not a major side-effect. The toxicity of IFN-beta given as scheduled in this study was significant, but acceptable.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Thymostimulin treatment in AIDS-related complex.

Thirty-four patients with AIDS-related complex (ARC) were treated for 6 months with thymostimulin, a thymic hormone. Clinical and immunological findings after a 1-year follow-up were compared with those in 24 age- and sex-matched controls receiving no immunotherapy. Statistical evaluation after 6 and 12 months showed significant differences in the two groups. The thymostimulin-treated group had higher leukocyte and lymphocyte counts, more positivity in intradermal tests with multiple recall antigens, and less lymphadenopathy and weight loss. The number of OKT3+ and OKT4+ lymphocytes decreased significantly in the control group, but did not change in the thymostimulin-treated patients. Finally, after 18 months of follow-up, no progression to AIDS was seen among the treated subjects, whereas 3 of the controls developed the disease. We conclude that thymostimulin, alone or in combination with antiviral drugs, may be helpful in the management of ARC patients.

AIDS-Related Complex↗
PubMed1987

Thymostimulin in the treatment of hepatitis B surface antigen-positive chronic active hepatitis. Controlled clinical trial--two years follow-up.

In this paper results obtained with thymostimulin (TP-1 Serono) in patients with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive chronic active hepatitis after 2 years follow-up are reported. The favourable trend observed in a previous trial was confirmed after a longer observation period, most patients showing a significant amelioration of clinical, biochemical and histological parameters, with respect to control group. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) serology, too, showed a significantly higher rate of seroconversion and antigen disappearance in treated patients. Finally, hospitalization period of the latter was significantly lower. These results, though obtained in a small population of patients, seem to indicate a role for thymic hormone therapy in the management of chronic active hepatitis.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1985

Thymic factor therapy for herpetic keratitis.

Thirty patients with herpetic keratitis were allocated to a double-blind trial with either local treatment plus placebo (control group) or local treatment plus thymostimulin (TS group). The follow-up at 24 months demonstrated a significant reduction of recurrence rate among patients receiving thymostimulin, along with a significant increase of sheep rosette-forming cells (E rosette). Furthermore, among patients with superficial keratitis, thymostimulin treatment resulted in a significantly quicker corneal re-epithelization than placebo. Thymostimulin seems to be a safe and helpful drug in the management of herpetic keratitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Effectiveness of thymostimulin treatment in hepatitis B surface antigen-positive chronic active liver disease. Results of a randomized clinical trial.

The results of this controlled trial with thymostimulin (TP-1 Serono) on hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive chronic active liver disease (CALD), involving 34 consecutive patients chosen by predefined criteria and randomly allocated to control and treatment groups, show that this thymic hormone may significantly improve the clinical, biochemical, serological and immunological parameters of this disease, and ameliorate the quality of the patients' life. The treatment schedule was adjusted according to the immunological response. Our study population was too small to enable any conclusions to be drawn: further studies are therefore required to establish the exact role of thymostimulin in the treatment of HBsAg-positive CALD.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Detection and partial characterization of circulating immune complexes in hydatid disease.

Thirty sera from eight patients with disseminated or localized hydatid disease have been examined for the presence of circulating immune complexes (CICs) by the conglutinin-binding assay and for immunoglobulin levels. The highest levels of CICs were of the immunoglobulin A (IgA) class, with lower values of IgG-CIC and IgM-CIC; these results did not correlate, except for IgG, with the free immunoglobulin levels. Efforts to identify parasitic antigen(s) involved in the CIC formation with different methods have been unsuccessful. In the follow-up of each patient, CIC appeared to be better correlated to clinical conditions than to hemagglutination titers. We have concluded that the presence of CIC in hydatid disease is probably an expression of B-cell polyclonal activation and that these complexes are valuable in the clinical monitoring of the disease.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗
PubMed1982

Serum and salivary IgA levels in normal subjects: comparison between tonsillectomized and non-tonsillectomized subjects.

Serum IgA and secretory IgA (SIgA) were determined in 1,000 apparently healthy subjects; 274 were tonsillectomized. Four groups were identified in this study: (1) 0.3% of subjects had no serum IgA and SIgA; (2) 1.6% of subjects showed partial serum and SIgA deficiency; (3) 27.4% of individuals were tonsillectomized and had partial serum IgA deficiency but normal SIgA, and (4) 71.4% were normal, both with respect to serum IgA and SIgA. There results stress the relatively high incidence of IgA deficiency in the normal population and confirm the role of the tonsils in maintaining serum IgA levels.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Circulating immune complexes detected by C1q solid phase assay in leprosy.

Sixty-three sera of patients with leprosy were tested for the presence of circulating immune complexes (CIC) by C1q solid phase assay (C1qSPA). The mean values in CIC levels in leprosy patients were very high in comparison to native and European controls. No difference was found in the tuberculoid and lepromatous forms, but there was a good correlation between the presence of CIC and autoantibodies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

[A case of Hodgkin's disease with primary splenic localization].

In this work a case of splenic Hodgkin's disease is reported. It was diagnosed only by a second exploratory laparotomy. There was no involvement of lymph nodes, other organs or systems. Hodgkin's disease was histologically associated with sarcoid-like granulomas and the significance of this association is discussed. In addition to splenectomy, this patient was treated with chemotherapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

IgA deficiency and circulating immune complexes in Neapolitan children with fatal acute respiratory infections.

Immunoglobulins, C3 and C4 levels and circulating immune complexes have been measured on admission sera from 34 children admitted to a Naples hospital during the winter of 1978/79 with severe, usually fatal, acute respiratory infections and in age-matched controls from Rome. The Naples sera were characterised by low IgA, C3, and C4 levels, increased IgM and IgG concentrations, and high titres of circulating immune complexes. These immunological abnormalities could explain the high concentration of fatal cases.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1980

Immune complexes in the sera and amniotic fluids of human pregnancy.

The polyethylene-glicol (P.E.G.) precipitation assay was used to examine the sera of 91 pregnant women, 30 with normal pregnancies, 16 with EPH-Gestosis, 20 with pregnancy complicated by diabetes and 25 with case histories of recurrent abortions, in order to find evidence of eventual circulating immune complexes (C.I.C.). We also examined 30 amniotic fluids from normal pregnant women and 6 from pregnant women with diabetes. Several sera and all amniotic fluids were also examined by rheumatoid factor (RF) - inhibition test. C.I.C. were not discovered in the normal pregnant women neither in their sera nor in their amniotic fluids, while they were found in the following cases: in 8 patients with EPH-Gestosis (50%), in 8 with diabetes (40%) and in 3 with anamnesis positive for recurrent abortions (12%). The 6 amniotic fluid samples from women with diabetes were all negative. We were only able to examine 11 of the 19 positive cases from 4 days to 5 months after delivery and C.I.C. were absent in the sera of all the patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

[Circulating immunocomplexes in patients with various morbid conditions].

The polyethylenglycol (PEG) precipitation technique has been employed for the measurement of immune complexes in the circulation of 100 normal subjects and in 14 patients suffering from a variety of diseases (systemic lupus erythematodes, nephrosic syndrome, cryoglobulinaemia, Buckley's syndrome). Values higher than 0.80 UA on the absorption scale were considered pathological, namely 2 standard deviations above the mean (0.32 UA) in the subjects examined; in the patients, values between a minimum of 0.98 UA and a maximum of 2.38 UA were observed. Longitudinal study of these cases also pointed to the disappearance of immune complexes during therapy. The results suggest that the PEG precipitation technique can play an important part as a screening test in situations in which circulating IC pathology is suspected; it is also a sensitive means of monitoring treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Orgotein as a radioprotector in normal tissues. Experiments on mouse skin and a murine adenocarcinoma.

The effects of Orgotein (a superoxide dismutase) on the radiation response of normal and malignant murine tissue in vivo were evaluated. The observations were made on the mouse hind leg bearing, in some cases, an adenocarcinoma. The following irradiation protocols were tested: 1) single dose (e.g., 35 and 53 Gy), 2) conventional fractionation (3 Gy/day, 5 days a week) and 3) multiple fractions per day (2 X 3 Gy/day, 3 h fractionation interval, 5 days a week). Radiation was either delivered alone or preceded by a subcutaneous injection of 20, 100 or 400 mg/kg Orgotein administered 1 or 2 h before the beginning of irradiation. No effects of Orgotein on tumor radiation response were detected. A protective effect on normal tissue was observed when radiation was delivered according to aggressive protocols and a relatively high dosage of Orgotein was administered. Furthermore, an accelerated trend of recovery of normal tissue was observed.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

HIV therapy in the post-eradication era.

Over the past three years, most efforts of virologists and immunologists involved in the field of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) have been focussed on strategies aimed at eradicating the infection. So far, however, all the approaches have been unsuccessful. Indeed, even if the currently available potent antiretroviral regimens are able to induce a profound and durable suppression of viral replication, they have poor effect on a viral reservoir of latently infected CD4+ T lymphocytes that rapidly reactivate after treatment discontinuation. Different approaches, including combined (immune based and antiretroviral) therapies, are therefore under investigation. The goal is to achieve an equilibrium where virus-induced immune dysfunction is prevented by an effective anti HIV immune response.

Anti-HIV Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Preparation and characterisation of membranes with entrapped TiO2 and preliminary photocatalytic tests.

The possibility of entrapping polycrystalline TiO2 in a polymeric support, in order to couple the two unit operations, i.e. ultrafiltration and photodegradation of organic pollutants in aqueous solutions, was investigated. To this aim, polymeric membranes for ultrafiltration with entrapped TiO2 were prepared, characterised and tested. The polymeric support chosen was commercial polysulfone (PSf). The membrane preparation was carried out with the technique referred to as phase inversion. A three-component system, with a polymer, a solvent and a non-solvent was used. The best operative conditions were determined in order to obtain the desired membrane morphology. Permeability measurements and photostability tests were also carried out by using a system under pressure. Finally, a preliminary investigation was performed in order to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the membranes with entrapped TiO2 for the oxidation of 4-nitrophenol as a model molecule in aqueous solutions.

Catalysis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Photocatalytic membrane processes for degradation of various types of organic pollutants and micropollutants in water.

Degradation tests in a photocatalytic membrane system have been carried out using TiO2 (Degussa P25) as catalyst and humic acid, organic dyes, 4-nitrophenol as pollutants. The influence of UV radiation and initial concentration of pollutant on the photodegradation rate were investigated in discontinuous and continuous systems. Experimental results showed that it is possible to obtain an efficient photocatalytic membrane process, but various parameters (e.g. pH) should be optimised to obtain high reaction rate and high membrane rejection of pollutants and their by-products.

Catalysis↗