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Biomedical subjects

M Carretta

Publications and source records attributed to M Carretta.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Epidemiological aspects on acute viral hepatitis in northern Italy.

Incidence and epidemiological features of acute hepatitis types A, B and non-A non-B have been evaluated in 332 consecutive patients hospitalized in Padova, Italy. Hepatitis B was diagnosed in 59% of cases and was frequently related to drug addition, health care work and household contact with HBsAg-positive subjects. Hepatitis A represented 22% of cases and its peak incidence occurred in the second decade. Non-A non-B hepatitis affected 15% of patients including not only transfusion or drug related forms, but also sporadic cases that prevailed among elderly women.

Adolescent↗

Two bidirectional nerve cord systems converging with electrical and chemical synapses on the Retzius cells of the leech Hirudo Medicinalis.

Electrical stimulation of the ventral cord of H. medicinalis elicits in both Retzius' cells of each segmental ganglion an EPSP which is composed by an early and a late component. The early EPSP is electrical in nature, since it is unaffected by displacements of the membrane potential and by high Mg2+, whereas the late one is chemical, being reversed in sign by membrane depolarization and suppressed by high Mg2+. Latency measurements show that the electrical and chemical EPSP components are mediated by two different pathways characterized by conduction velocities of 0.5 and 0.3 m/sec respectively. Both pathways run in each of the lateral connectives and propagate impulses in anterior and posterior direction. Collision experiments show that ascending and descending impulses along the pathway mediating the electrical EPSP travel along the same fibres. Separate stimulation of the lateral connectives and selective inactivation of one Retzius' cell show that both pathways converge onto each Retzius' cell show that both pathways converge onto each Retzius cell. The possible functional significance of the two excitatory pathways is discussed.

Animals↗

Epidemiology of hepatitis A in northern Italy: a seven-year survey.

During a seven-year survey of acute symptomatic viral hepatitis in Padua (Northern Italy), the epidemiological features of hepatitis A were evaluated in 207 consecutive patients (120 males, mean age 22.7 +/- 11.4 years). The annual attack rate of the disease decreased significantly (p less than 0.05) between 1978 and 1979 (0.11/1000 inhabitants) and 1981 and 1984 (0.04-0.03/1000 inhabitants), mainly due to its declining prevalence in the pediatric age. In parallel with the shifting of hepatitis A towards adulthood, single sources of infection, mainly associated with adult life-style such as foreign travel and raw shellfish ingestion, have become more and more prominent. The spread of drug abuse has not influenced the epidemiology of hepatitis A in our area.

Adolescent↗

The changing epidemiology of acute type B hepatitis: results of an 11-year prospective study in Padua (northern Italy).

The epidemiological pattern of acute type B hepatitis has been investigated in 1,107 consecutive patients during an 11-year prospective study conducted in Padua (Northern Italy) between 1978 and 1988. Remarkable changes were observed: 1) the attack rate of the disease increased significantly (p less than 0.05) between 1978 (18/10(5) inhabitants) and 1982 (29/10(5) inhabitants), particularly in male subjects and in the 15-19-year age group. The proportion of drug addicts also increased from 8.8 to 42% (p less than 0.05). These changes coincide in time with the spread of parenteral drug abuse in our area; 2) the attack rate dropped significantly (p less than 0.05) between 1983 and 1988 reaching the lowest levels ever observed before (4.7/10(5) inhabitants). The proportion of drug addicts decreased significantly (p less than 0.05), although the number of subjects starting narcotic abuse did not decline in recent years. Two major events could explain this pattern: a partial exhaustion of the susceptible population after spread of infection among drug abusers and, later on, the changing risk behaviours observed in our drug abusers after the AIDS prevention campaign. Other factors, including vaccination of some high risk groups, could have contributed to these changes.

Adolescent↗

Acute non-A, non-B hepatitis in Italy: a 16-year prospective epidemiological study. The possible role of hepatitis C virus.

During a survey of acute symptomatic viral hepatitis conducted in Padua over the last 16 years, 404 (20%) cases of non-A, non-B hepatitis were observed, including 55% with overt parenteral exposure (35% drug abusers) and 45% with unknown exposure. Between 1978 and 1982 the attack rate of the disease increased significantly (p < 0.01) in males, (from 3.8 to 17.3/10(5) inhabitants), in adolescents and in youths. The prevalence of drug abusers rose up to 58% in 1982 suggesting the occurrence of an outbreak in this risk group. In subsequent years the attack rate returned to initial levels in males, although drug abuse still remains the single most important route of infection, and declined in females, especially after the disappearance of post-transfusion hepatitis since 1991. Retrospective anti-HCV testing of patients seen up to 1990 and prospective investigation of patients hospitalized later have shown an antibody prevalence of 88% among parenterally transmitted cases, and of 29% in the other patients, without significant differences between the prospective and the retrospective study. These findings suggest that an outbreak of hepatitis C occurred in our area in the early eighties and that drug abuse is still the most important mode of transmission of acute hepatitis C.

Acute Disease↗

Evaluation of the hybrid artificial pancreas in diabetic dogs.

Immunoisolation of nonsyngeneic tissue using a selectively permeable membrane is designed to facilitate transplantation without the use of immunosuppression. The authors' studies have evaluated a hybrid artificial pancreas device that is implanted as an arteriovenous vascular shunt. Devices containing allogeneic or xenogeneic islets were implanted in diabetic dogs who had undergone pancreatectomies, and the devices eliminated the requirement for exogenous insulin for control of fasting glycemia in 11 animals for periods ranging from 1 to 8 months. Furthermore, unseeded devices in normal dogs have been shown to remain patent for over 2 years with low doses of aspirin as the only anticoagulant. These results indicate that this approach has potential as a therapy for diabetes.

Animals↗