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Biomedical subjects

M Galli

Publications and source records attributed to M Galli.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources

Inhibition of phospholipid and platelet-dependent prothrombinase activity in the plasma of patients with lupus anticoagulants.

Prothrombinase activity was analysed in the plasma of a series of patients with lupus anticoagulants (LAC). In the presence of purified PS-PC (20-80%) vesicles the prothrombinase activity triggered by kaolin was retarded by 2-3 min with respect with normal plasma. The maximal values of prothrombinase activity increased by increasing the amount of phospholipid vesicles. However, in the plasma of the patients they were always lower than those of normal plasma at each phospholipid concentration. Platelet-dependent prothrombinase activity was subsequently investigated. Again, both a delay in appearance and reduced peak values of prothrombinase activity were observed in the plasma of the patients. This inhibition was partially overcome by the addition of an excess of purified phospholipids. Finally, the effect of LAC IgG on platelet rich plasma-dependent prothrombinase activity was investigated. The main effect observed was a delay of the peak time of prothrombinase activity, while the maximal peaks were affected only by one IgG preparation. We conclude that LAC antibodies can react with both purified negatively-charged phospholipids and platelet procoagulant phospholipids and inhibit prothrombinase activity in a similar way in both cases.

Adult↗

Increased response to arachidonic acid and U-46619 and resistance to inhibitory prostaglandins in patients with chronic myeloproliferative disorders.

In patients with myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) a group of related diseases of the bone marrow stem cell and recurrent haemorrhagic and/or thrombotic complications, the production of aggregating prostaglandins (PGs) may be normal or slightly reduced, while PGI2 production is normal. However, MPD platelet sensitivity to antiaggregatory PGs is still unknown. We studied the potency of PGD2, PGI2 and PGE1 as inhibitors of platelet aggregation induced by threshold aggregating concentrations of arachidonic acid and U-46619-analogue of the cyclic endoperoxide PGH2 in 20 patients with MPD in comparison with healthy controls, with the aim of evaluating the sensitivity of MPD platelets to antiaggregatory PGs. In these patients platelet prostanoid metabolism was normal. However, the functional response of platelets to aggregating and antiaggregating prostanoids was shifted towards potentially increased platelet aggregation response. These findings could have a clinical relevance in view of the haemostatic and thrombotic complications so frequent in MPD.

15-Hydroxy-11 alpha,9 alpha-(epoxymethano)prosta-5↗

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↗

Interaction between platelets and lupus anticoagulant.

10 consecutive patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for lupus anticoagulant. 4 had concomitant systemic lupus erythematosus, 1 Waldenstrom's disease and 5 had no apparent underlying disease. Only the case with Waldenstrom's disease presented a bleeding tendency, with bleeding time greater than 20 min; the others had a history of thrombotic complications. A defect of platelet aggregation induced by ADP, epinephrine, collagen and arachidonic acid was documented in the Waldenstrom's disease case whose lupus anticoagulant was an IgM. In the others, lupus anticoagulant, identified as IgG immunoglobulins, produced no aggregation abnormalities. However, beta-thromboglobulin levels in platelets, plasma and urine were consistent with a pattern of platelet activation in all cases. IgG immunoglobulins separated from sera of 6 patients showed lupus anticoagulant activity, with no effects on platelet aggregation of normal platelet-rich plasma, but they induced secretion of beta-thromboglobulin from normal platelets.

Adult↗

Underestimation of residual ischemia by 201-thallium scintigraphy after myocardial infarction.

Pre- and post-CABG perfusion scintigraphic findings are reported in a patient with residual ischemia after anterior myocardial infarction. The preoperative 201Tl scan showed incomplete tracer redistribution and a relevant area of persistent irreversible defect, suggestive of a large scar. After CABG, the presence of a virtually normal early thallium distribution demonstrated previous underestimation of the viable perinecrotic tissue. A persistent perfusion defect, even if associated with wall motion abnormality, does not necessarily imply the absence of residual viable tissue.

Coronary Circulation↗

T-lymphocyte subsets and delayed type hypersensitivity as classification parameters for HIV infection among drug-addicts.

HIV selectively infects T helper lymphocytes, which play an essential role in cell-mediated immunity mechanisms. Impairment of these mechanisms can be evaluated, other than by clinical parameters, by testing lymphocytic subsets and cutaneous delayed type hypersensitivity. All these indices are used in the Walter Reed Foundation (WR) staging system, which includes the different stages of HIV infection. In our study we investigated the above mentioned parameters in a series of 180 HIV positive PDAs. A classification of the same patients according to WR's criteria was also designed. Of our patients, 46.1% resulted normoergic, 27.2% hypoergic and 26.7% anergic. Of all normoergic subjects, 83.7% (with more than 400 OKT4+ cells/mmc) could be assigned to the WR2 and 16.3% (with less than 400 OKT4+ cells/mmc) to the WR3 staging group. Among the hypoergic patients, only 34.7% were assignable to the WR4 group, whereas the majority (65.3%) had more than 400 OKT4+ cell/mmc. Even among the anergic group, 62.5% did not fit the WR5 stage, exhibiting an OKT4+ level higher than 400/mmc. In the latter 2 groups (referred to as D and E), T helper lymphocyte counts were performed at regular intervals; however, only the ones followed-up for at least 6 months were evaluated. OKT4+ cells were shown to decrease more frequently and more rapidly in the anergic than in the hypoergic patients, which points to cutaneous anergy as representing an early sign of impairment of cell-mediated immunity.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Antiphospholipid antibodies in early repeated abortions: a case-controlled study.

The relation among lupus anticoagulant (LAC), anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA), and repeated abortions was evaluated in a case-controlled study of 49 women with two or more unexplained spontaneous abortions (cases) compared with 141 control subjects, who had had one or more normal pregnancies and no previous spontaneous abortion. The women were admitted to the same hospital where the cases had been identified for acute conditions other than immunologic neoplastic, gynecologic or cardiovascular. LAC was detected in 7 out of 49 cases (14%, 95% confidence limits 8% to 26%) but in none of the 141 controls. Similarly, ACA were detected in four cases (8%, 95% confidence limits 0.3% to 30%) but no controls. These differences in frequency were statistically significant. These findings confirm that LAC and ACA are associated with a history of repeated abortions in clinically asymptomatic patients for immunologic conditions.

Abortion, Habitual↗

[Postoperative changes in perfusion scintigraphic picture in patients with previous myocardial infarct].

In 44 patients with previous MI who underwent CABG, we studied the effect of surgical reperfusion by comparing the different patterns of Thallium uptake after effort or dipyridamole test. For each patient, 9 myocardial segments were classified either normal or abnormal for reversible or irreversible uptake defect, both before and after surgery. CABG (complete in 77% of patients) reduced the incidence of angina (16% vs 77% pre-CABG, p less than 0.001) and of significant (greater than 1 mm) ST-segment depression during the test (20% vs 78%, p less than 0.001). Of 235/496 abnormal segments, 111 (47%) normalised or improved after CABG while an impairment was observed in 34/277 (12%) normal segments or with reversible defect at pre-CABG scan (p less than 0.001). Reversible defects showed a far better outcome relative to irreversible defects: an improvement was achieved in 68% of the former instances, vs only in 27% of the latter (p less than 0.001). Among the 264 myocardial segments which can be ascribed consistently to the territory of some particular coronary vessel, a significantly greater incidence of post-CABG improvement was found in revascularized segments (60/195 vs 5/69, p less than 0.0005). On the contrary it was not possible to correlate the surgery outcome with the presence of ECG Q-waves in the segment. Thus the presence of reversible Thallium defects in post MI patients predicts the improvement of regional perfusion pattern after CABG, regardless of the presence of Q waves.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗