Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Amato.
The aim of this work has been to investigate the mechanism by which diazepam counteracts the plasma corticosterone rise induced by stress in rats. This effect is reversed by pretreatment with RO151788 and CGS8216. This observation suggests that the effect is mediated by benzodiazepine-specific receptors in brain.
Fifty-six cases of spondylolysis were encountered in 1500 lumbar spine reports reviewed. The frequency of detecting isthmus defects on anteroposterior (AP), lateral, 45-degree right and left oblique, 30-degree up-angled AP, and collimated lateral views was determined. The collimated lateral view showed the largest number of pars defects, 84% of cases. The 30-degree up-angled AP view was more sensitive than the AP view, showing 55% versus 32% of cases. A previously unreported sign of spondylolysis, fragmentation of lamina demonstrated on the AP or AP up-angled view, was found in 14.2% of cases of spondylolysis.
Since the first description by Rubinstein and Taybi in 1963 more than 250 cases of this syndrome have been reported in the literature, but only few cases in the neonate. We present a patient with the typical clinical aspect who was diagnosed at birth. Early recognition of this condition is important for counselling the parents.
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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of "intensive phototherapy" (blue double light, 2 X 30 microW/cm2) on neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in 41 infants, compared to a control group treated with "single light" phototherapy (1 X 30 microW/cm2). The double light treatment enhances the photodegradation of bilirubin. The number of exchange transfusions was reduced, and no further exchange transfusions had to be carried out. No significant clinical side effects during the phototherapy were observed.
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The relationship between maternal abuse of methadone and neonatal signs of withdrawal has been studied. The main symptoms are frequent vomiting or diarrhea, hyperpyrexia, moderate or severe irritability and tremors, inability to sleep between feedings, and clinically apparent convulsions. Physicians caring for such high-risk infants should recognize the potential seriousness of this problem.
The clinical usefulness of transcutaneous bilirubinometry with the Minolta-Air Shield bilirubinometer was evaluated at four obstetrical neonatology units (Basle, Berne, Lucerne and Zurich). Transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB), expressed as bilirubin index, was compared with simultaneous serum bilirubin estimations in healthy Caucasians babies born at term with a birth weight of more than 2500 g. TcB measured over the forehead: 926 determinations in 629 newborns. TcB measured over the sternum: 404 estimations in 260 newborns. TcB estimations over the sternum produced a closer correlation (r = 0.93) with serum bilirubin than estimations over the forehead (r = 0.81). Mean serum bilirubin value as well as the corresponding 5th and 95th percentiles were calculated for each TcB index. From the data obtained the following practical conclusions can be drawn: TcB estimations are reliable for giving the indication to perform serum bilirubin determinations. In patients with risk factors for kernikterus serum bilirubin should be determined at a TcB index of greater than or equal to 18, in babies without risk factors at a TcB index of greater than or equal to 21.
The authors have studied in retrospect 36 cardiotocographic registrations of women who had given birth to foetus affected by congenital cardiac disease. Emphasis is placed on antepartum diagnosis for appropriate postpartum management of newborns with congenital cardiac anomaly in which such diagnosis is possible.
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Sera of thirty-five hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive hemodialysis patients and fifty-three asymptomatic HBsAg chronic carrier were studied to assess the relationship between markers of virus activity (hepatitis B e antigen and core-associated DNA polymerase activity) and titers of HBsAg and of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). All sera were tested by solid-phase radioimmunoassay methods. HBeAg was detected in 20 (51%) hemodialysis patients and in 14 (26%) asymptomatic carriers, whereas DNA P activity was present in sera of 21 (60%) and 17 (32%) respectively. The highest titers of HBsAg and anti-HBc expressed as P/N ratio between positive and negative controls, were detected in the majority of hemodialysis patients, whereas asymptomatic carriers showed low titers of these markers. These data suggest that in HBsAg positive hemodialysis patients a more active viral replication occurs and further underline the difference between these patients and other categories of HBsAg carriers in terms of infectivity.
A solid phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) procedure was developed and three methods for detection of IgM specific antibody to hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV IgM) were compared: triple antibody method, 2-MercaptoEthanol (2-ME) for IgM cleavage and Staphylococcal A Protein (StAP) for IgG absorption. Specificity and sensitivity of the tests were checked for evaluating acute and convalescent sera from 40 patients with serologically (seroconversion) diagnosed hepatitis A and 64 sera from patients with various acute viral diseases or with high titre of rheumatoid factor (RF). Specimens to be assayed for anti-HAV IgM were pretreated with 2-ME or StAP and tested by RIa using 125I labelled anti-HAV IgG. Triple antibody method showed to be more sensitive than other two methods giving false positive result in only one serum containing high levels of monoclonal RF. No significant difference in sensitivity and specificity was found between 2-ME and StAP procedure, but these methods were able to detect anti-HAV IgM for only two weeks after the onset of the disease, whereas triple antibody method gave positive results for at last seven weeks.
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57 patients with cyanotic congenital heart diseases were studied. 39 patients presented t. of Fallot, 18 patients had patent ductus arterious with pulmonary hypertension and right to left shunt. The average whole blood viscosity in patients with t. of Fallot was 6.86+/-0.32 cps. This parameter was correlated with hematocrit, fibrinogen, euglobulin lysis time, pulmonary output, systemic output, and O2 saturation. The value of "r" resulted as statistically significant only for the correlation between viscosity and hematocrit and between viscosity and fibrinogen (t=13.22, p less than 0.0005; t=3.35, p less than 0.001 respectively). The average value of plasma viscosity in patients with t. of Fallot was 1.61+/-0.024 cps. The correlations of this parameter with fibrinogen, euglobulin lysis time, pulmonary output and systemic output did not result as statistically significant. The average fibrinogen value was 256.10+/-20.63 mg%, whereas that of euglobulin lysis time was 12,67+/-1.50 hours. In patients with patent ductus arteriosus the average blood viscosity was 6.65+/-0.56 cps. Such parameter was correlated with hematocrit, fibrinogen, euglobulin lysis time, pulmonary output, systemic output and O2 saturation. The value of "r" resulted as statistically significant only between blood viscosity and hematocrit and between blood viscosity and O2 saturation (t=9.30, p less than 0.0005; t=5.800, p less than 0.001 respectively). The average value of plasma viscosity was 1.61+/-0.04 cps. This parameter was correlated with fibrinogen, euglobulin lysis time, pulmonary output and systemic output. The correlation index "r" never resulted as statistically significant. The average fibrinogen value was 299.20+/-20.30 mg. The average euglobulin lysis time was 16.02+/-2.73 hours.
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