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Biomedical subjects

M Gentilini

Publications and source records attributed to M Gentilini.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

[Alcohol consumption in developing countries. Review of available data for 3 African countries].

The increasing alcohol consumption throughout the world appears to constitute an enduring public health problem. In developing countries, the consequences of such consumption should be considered as questions of both classical alcohol-linked pathology and of food balance. Available data for 3 countries in Africa (Burkina Faso, Congo, Cameroons) show an important growth in the industrial production of alcoholic beverages (mostly beer) over the last 20 years, while variation in traditional home production remains unknown. However, the lack of data on consumption does not permit a good appreciation of this problem.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1984

Hemoglobins S and C in Upper Volta.

We have studied the incidence of hemoglobinopathies in 1059 individuals in Upper Volta. We have found that this population has a high frequency of HbS and HbC and alpha-thalassemia. The gene frequency of HbS was high (0.1 for the beta s gene) in the arid Sahel portion of Upper Volta accompanied by a lower frequency for HbC (0.05 for the beta c gene). The reverse was true in the humid Savanna region of this country (0.03 for the beta s gene and 0.14 for the beta c gene). There was no age dependency of the HbS gene frequency, but alpha-thalassemia, detectable in HbS heterozygotes, showed a statistically significant decrease with age. No homozygote for HbS was detected after the age of 1 year, and SC and CC genotypes were found at a lower incidence than expected. The environmental and medical conditions in Upper Volta preclude the survival of SS individuals and decrease the survival of SC and CC genotypes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Auditory extinction following hemisphere damage.

Extinction to the simultaneous presentation of sounds to both ears was investigated in patients with acute cerebrovascular disease and found to be present in nearly half of the patients in the early stage of stroke. The occurrence of the symptom was not significantly different following damage to either hemisphere, but a higher percentage of right brain-damaged patients tended to show extinction for a longer time. However, this finding must be evaluated with caution since a greater number of left- than right-hemisphere patients had to be excluded from the investigation because aphasia precluded their understanding test instructions. The presence of auditory extinction was not related to that of visual extinction and there were patients with severe visual neglect who did not extinguish in the auditory modality. These findings and CT scan evidence, indicating that patients with long-lasting extinction had lesions encroaching upon the auditory pathways, suggest that in number of cases the phenomenon may have a sensory and not an attentional basis.

Attention↗
PubMed1984

Abnormal anti-single stranded (ss) DNA activity in sera from Plasmodium falciparum infected individuals.

Sera from 32 subjects with Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia were screened for the presence of antibodies to native-double stranded (ds) DNA and to heat-denaturated-single stranded (ss) DNA by a Farr DNA binding radioimmunoassay. In addition anti-dsDNA antibodies were also studied by indirect immunofluorescence using Crithidia luciliae and rat liver sections as substrates. Immunoglobulin (G, A, M) levels and plasmodial antibodies titres (PA) were concomitantly evaluated. The anti-ssDNA activity was higher in malarious individuals with high IgM levels than in normal or malarious individuals with normal IgM levels. This activity was higher during the acute stage of infection than after recovery. A positive and significant relationship was found between the anti-ssDNA activity and the IgM levels but not with IgG, IgA or PA titres. Speckled antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were also observed in sera from 43.8% of the individuals and the mean ssDNA activity was higher in these ANA positive patients. Conversely anti-dsDNA antibodies could not be detected by any of the tests performed. This preferential production of anti-ssDNA Ab and not anti-dsDNA Ab is additional evidence that the autoantibodies observed in malaria infection are not a consequence of a generalized and non-specific polyclonal activation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Hepatocytes as feeder-layers for in vitro cultivation of Plasmodium falciparum blood-stages.

To improve the in vitro growth of Plasmodium falciparum we attempted to cultivate its erythrocytic stages on monolayers of functionally active hepatocytes. Hepatocytes from Swiss Albino mice were isolated by perfusing the liver with a collagenase solution and were co-cultured with a liver epithelial cell type in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% human umbilical cord serum. The results show that the presence of hepatocytes improves both the multiplication rates of three strains of P. falciparum already in cultivation and the proliferation of freshly isolated strains. Of nine primary isolates tested, only three could be adapted in the standard conditions, whereas all grew readily in the presence of hepatocytes. After two to three weeks of culture with feeder cells, all the strains could be maintained continuously in standard conditions. Similar results were obtained using hepatocytes from another rodent species. Growth was also improved using the supernatant from hepatocyte cultures. No improvement resulted from the use of two human hepatoma cell lines, one rat hepatoma, human embryonic lung fibroblasts, human liver fibroblasts and rat liver epithelial cells as feeder layers. From these results it appears that better culture media can be designed and that the effect of hepatocytes is probably related to the specific functions exhibited by these cells. Hepatocytes may act either by removing toxic substances, particularly lactic acid in the Krebs and Cori cycles, and/or supplying nutrients essential to the parasite.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Species- and stage-specific antigens in exoerythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum.

Numerous exoerythrocytic forms of Plasmodium falciparum ( PFEEF ) were obtained from the liver of the South American monkey, Cebus apella, for analysis of the antigens on this stage. As antigen for the fluorescent assay, 5-micron sections of liver fragments collected on day 5 following sporozoite inoculation and fixed in Carnoy's solution or kept in liquid nitrogen were used. Two types of fluorescent labeling of the PFEEF were identified: diffuse and peripheral. Each of 23 sera from individuals with P. falciparum infection acquired naturally by mosquito bite showed the diffuse and peripheral patterns of fluorescence at low serum dilutions (i.e., 1:10-1:100), but only peripheral staining at higher serum dilutions (i.e., 1:200-1:1,600). All other polyclonal sera tested showed only the diffuse pattern of fluorescence whatever the serum dilution used; this was true for P. falciparum infections acquired accidentally by blood transfusion, heterologous human infections with P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae or P. cynomolgi, and experimental animal infections with P. berghei, P. gallinaceum, or P. cynomolgi. Fluorescent antibody titers on PFEEF were generally 1-4 dilutions lower than on blood stages. No age-dependent pattern of fluorescence titers was found in 30 sera from individuals ranging in age from 2-78 years living in a malaria-endemic area. Twenty-six monoclonal antibodies directed to P. falciparum blood stages which reacted at high titers with rings, schizonts, merozoites, and gametocytes did not react with PFEEF antigen even when using the undiluted ascitic fluid.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Normal frequency of anti-thyroglobulin antibodies in hyperendemic areas of malaria: relevance to the understanding of autoantibody formation in malaria.

Sera from 280 inhabitants from the Upper-Volta villages of Donsé and Oursi were screened for the presence of anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (anti-Tg Ab) by the classical passive haemagglutination technique. Precipitant malarial antibodies and immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM) levels were concomitantly evaluated. Although 90% of the individuals studied had antibodies against malaria, a disease known to be associated with autoantibody (auto-Ab) production a normal frequency of anti-Tg Ab was observed in both Donsé and Oursi villages. This normal frequency of anti-Tg Ab contrasting to the previously reported increased frequency of other auto-Ab in individuals exposed to malaria, is additional evidence that the auto-Ab production that takes place during malaria infection is not the result of a generalized and non-specific activation of autoreactive cells by parasite derived mitogens.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

A screening of serological syphilis in Mauritania.

A survey aiming at assessing the frequency and the distribution of serological syphilis has been carried out on a sample of 6049 subjects aged 6-18 years in Mauritania. 33.4% of the samples had a reciprocal titer of 150 or more as determined by means of an immunofluorescence technique. However, frequencies in the different villages ranged from 7.5 to 47.6% and were strongly associated with the percentage of Black elements in the community. A significant difference was found between the age-groups 6-13 and 14-18, with a mean increase of 56%. These results suggest that an intervention program might be necessary in Mauritania.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

[Problems raised by the treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma in subjects with AIDS].

Kaposi's Syndrome (K. S.) was defined as a virus induced immunogenic tumour responding to interferon. It can be used as a guideline for therapeutical trials in A. I. D. S. K. S. mortality is 13%. K. S. + O. I. (opportunistic infections) mortality reaches 70% and O. I. mortality is approximately 50%. Therefore treating O. I. is a must but it is not mentioned in the paper. Attempts made to modify immunodepression, usual K. S. treatments, experimental treatments based upon similar pathogenicity (like systemic lupus erythematosus, Hansen's disease, preneoplasia dyskeratosis) were unsuccessful. Trials with alpha recombinant interferon realised at the Sloan Kettering Memorial for Cancer in New York are summarized for 74 patients and are in preliminary interpretation. Our study is based upon 13 cases studied for 14 to 4 months and comes up to the same conclusions using 18 to 36 million units/day for 6 months (6 cases) and 3 to 4 months (7 cases). For 6 full treatments the results are: 2 K. S. were cleaned up after 8 and 3 months follow up, 4 K. S. with O. I.: 3 remissions and then relapses and 1 stabilization, for 7 current treatments: 2 had to be discontinued because of bad tolerance, 1 stabilization and 4 remissions. For all treatments a decrease and a lesser gravity of O. I. can be noted during treatment. Besides flu-like syndromes, main clinical side effects, are: asthenia, general condition impairment, 2 fits were observed for which I.N.F. cannot be clearly incriminated. Daily treatment compelling and surveillance are real drawbacks. Different types of better used interferon will probably yield interesting results (40% regression or improvement).

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗