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Biomedical subjects

M Mariani

Publications and source records attributed to M Mariani.

At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

A new enzymatic method to obtain high-yield F(ab)2 suitable for clinical use from mouse IgGl.

Four different proteases were screened for their capability of selectively digesting murine monoclonal IgGl to obtain active F(ab)2. For the screening, a series of five different mouse monoclonal antibodies (IgGl, k) was used, recognizing different tumor-associated antigens and currently used for radioimmunoimaging studies. The enzymes (pepsin, bromelain, ficin and elastase) showed different fragmentation capability and the fragments obtained showed different stability and immunoreactivity. No digestion was noticed using elastase. Pepsin gave discontinuous results, in that its activity ranged from reduction of IgG to small inactive fragments to an inability to digest the immunoglobulin. Pepsin activity was strongly pH-dependent and immunoreactivity of the obtained fragments was not always conserved. Bromelain and, in particular, ficin gave excellent results. Digestion was always rapid and stable, all five MAbs were reduced to F(ab)2 in a comparable time range and with high yields. Moreover, ficin-obtained F(ab)2 showed a highly conserved immunoreactivity. Therefore, ficin was selected as the murine monoclonal IgGl digestion enzyme to obtain active bivalent antibody fragments. The digestion procedure gave a uniform result for all five different MAbs and was easily scaled up to produce hundreds of milligrams of F(ab)2.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Antenatal sonographic diagnosis of clubfoot: a six-year experience.

In the period 1988 through 1993, 6351 pregnant women were referred to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University "La Sapienza", Roma, for suspected fetal anomalies or maternofetal problems. All underwent serial transabdominal and/or transvaginal ultrasound scanning, which revealed a total of 235 fetuses with hydrocephalus, cardiac, or musculoskeletal malformations. Forty-one clubfeet were detected in 27 pregnancies in the early part of the second trimester of pregnancy. Of these, 14 feet in eight patients were isolated, and were classified as idiopathic. A clubfoot was associated with neural tube defects in six patients, with anomalies of the urinary and/or digestive system in a further six, with a cystic hygroma in two, and with other musculoskeletal abnormalities in the other six patients. Amniocentesis revealed an abnormal karyotype in six fetuses (22.2%). In only two cases was oligohydramnios present. In both these patients, a fetal urinary tract malformation was present Polyhydramnios was found in 18 cases, and a normal amount of amniotic fluid was found in the remaining seven cases. Polyhydramnios was present in six of the eight idiopathic clubfoot fetuses. Clubfoot is associated with musculoskeletal and visceral anomalies in a high proportion of cases. The association of clubfoot with polyhydramnios in a high proportion of cases does not support the hypothesis of intrauterine moulding as an etiological factor in its development. Ultrasonographical prenatal detection of a clubfoot should prompt amniocentesis, as the condition is associated with an abnormal karyotype in a significant proportion of cases.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cell-mediated immunity in male fertility. Immunological infertility in man.

The leukocyte migration inhibition test on agarose was performed on 210 patients with different andrological disorders: oligozoospermia following primarily testicular disorders, oligozoospermia following primarily non testicular disorders and idiopathic oligozoospermia. This test was most applicable in disorders involving testicular damage and in cases of varicocele with altered blood flow. It would appear that cell-mediated immunity is involved in the pathogenesis of the consequences of these disorders.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[True hermaphroditism: description of a case].

An infant with normal male external genitalia and preoperative diagnosis of right hydrocele and left cryptorchidism got operative diagnosis of true hermaphroditism. Left ovary and Fallopian tube were removed. Karyotype was 46.XX/47.XXY. The results of the genetic study are shown.

Disorders of Sex Development↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome associated with 5-OH-tryptophan. Description of a case].

The Authors report a case of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome in a patient with a history of alcohol abuse, treated with a 5-OH-tryptophan containing drug. As regards the pathogenesis of this "new" clinical syndrome, three major hypotheses can be considered: a) autoimmune, according to which tryptophan could act as an "immunogenic" stimulus, thus evoking a cell-mediated reaction against neuromuscular structures; b) dysmetabolic, that is to say, related to neurotoxic metabolites of tryptophan, which in certain conditions could be degraded by an "alternate" pathway that is normally less operating; c) toxic, which is the most accredited nowadays, according to which there is a toxic factor, perhaps similar to aniline, linked to the process of manufacture and purification of L-tryptophan. In our patient, the drug withdrawal and a therapy with steroids led to the remission of the syndrome.

5-Hydroxytryptophan↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Human gliomas radioimmunoimaging with 131-I BC-2 murine IgG: preliminary report.

Ten patients with intracranial malignancies were studied by radioimmunoscintigraphy with I-131 BC-2 MoAb. Sensitivity and specificity of radioimmunoimaging were determined and compared with the results obtained with computed X-ray tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. BC-2 MoAb is a murine IgG1 anti-tenascin, which is not expressed by adult normal brain and has been found in large amount in gliomas and/or cerebral metastases, as well as other human tumors. Gamma-camera images obtained at 1 to 4 days exhibited increasing uptake of BC-2 in eight tumors, with varying degrees of contrast with the surrounding normal brain. Two lesions resulted negative to RIS: a meningioma and an oligodendroglioma. Specific tumor uptake of I-131 BC-2 was determined, by external gamma imaging, and ranged from 0.002 up to 0.007 percent of injected dose. Nonspecific uptake in the tumor was determined injecting 99m-Tc-FO23C5 (an isotype-matched control IgG1) in four patients and it was lower than 0.0001% ID. I-131 BC-2 tumor/nontumor ratios, measured using the geometric mean on digital images, ranged from 3 to 7.5:1. This study demonstrates that the tumor uptake of BC-2 in patients with glioma was due to specific processes.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Usefulness of long-term monitoring of neonatal arterial pressure].

30 newborns were studied, whose systolic arterial pressure has been controlled every 30 minutes 48 hours long, with oscillometric automatic technique. The resulting average of oscillation was 45.1 +/- 12.8 mmHg for systolic pressure and 36 +/- 11.4 mmHg for diastolic pressure. Wide pressure oscillations, you can find in some newborns, could be related with the development of a future pressure hypertension, and therefore a long term pressure monitoring would turn to a real useful test to single out future hypertensive subjects.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Doxorubicin resistance circumvention by verapamil in B16 melanoma cells.

We present data on the cellular drug pharmacokinetic alterations correlated with the circumvention of doxorubicin resistance by verapamil in a B16 melanoma cell line. An increased drug uptake, a decreased drug efflux and a different intracellular drug distribution appear to be responsible for the enhancement of doxorubicin cytotoxicity induced by treatment with verapamil in drug-resistant cells. However, doxorubicin pharmacokinetics and cytotoxicity were not affected by verapamil in doxorubicin-sensitive melanoma cells.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Comparison between 2 types of feeding in acute diarrhea in childhood].

134 infants under three years of age suffering from severe diarrhoea are related. 57 of these had quite serious dehydration and 77 presented protracted diarrhoea (less than or equal to 15 days). 50% were treated with a milk with reduced content of lactose. Other 50% with a diet lactose-free for a day followed by the same milk used before diarrheal disease. Results obtained, few relapses and quick normalization of stool are supporting the use of a milk with reduced contents of lactose.

Acute Disease↗