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Biomedical subjects

M Moroni

Publications and source records attributed to M Moroni.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Inhaled sodium cromoglycate to treat cough in advanced lung cancer patients.

C-fibres probably represent the common final pathway in both ACE inhibitors and neoplastic cough. A recent report demonstrated that inhaled sodium cromoglycate is an effective treatment for ACE inhibitors' cough; this effect might be due to the suppression of afferent unmyelinated C-fibres. We tested the hypothesis that inhaled sodium cromoglycate might also be effective in lung cancer patients who presented with irritative neoplastic cough. Twenty non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients complaining of cough resistant to conventional treatment were randomised to receive, in a double-blind trial, either inhaled sodium cromoglycate or placebo. Patients recorded cough severity daily, before and during treatment, on a 0 to 4 scale. The efficacy of treatment was tested with the Mann-Whitney U-test for non-parametric measures, comparing the intergroup differences in the measures of summary of symptom scores calculated in each patient before and after treatment. We report that inhaled sodium cromoglycate can reduce cough, also in NSCLC patients and that such reduction, observed in all patients treated, is statistically significant (P < 0.001). Inhaled sodium cromoglycate appears to be a cost-effective and safe treatment for lung cancer-related cough.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1996

Evidence for type 2 cytokine production and lymphocyte activation in the early phases of HIV-1 infection.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse changes in cytokine production in vitro and T-lymphocyte immunophenotype in the early phases of HIV-1 infection. DESIGN AND METHODS: Mitogen-stimulated in vitro production of interferon (IFN)-gamma, interleukin (IL)-2 (type 1 cytokines), IL-4, and IL-10 (type 2 cytokines) and surface expression of activation and non-activation markers were evaluated in 11 individuals HIV-infected for > 3 but < 12 months (seroconverters). The data were compared to those obtained in 33 asymptomatic HIV-positive individuals infected > 3 years previously and who were stratified according to CD4+ lymphocyte count (group 1: > 500 x 10(6)/l, group 2: < 500 x 10(6)/l CD4 cells) and in 12 HIV-seronegative healthy controls. RESULTS: We observed that the early phase of HIV infection is characterized by (1) reduced mitogen-stimulated IL-2 and IFN-gamma production, (2) increased mitogen-stimulated IL-4 and IL-10 production, (3) a relative decrease in CD4+ and CD4+CD7- as well as an increase in CD4+CD7-CD57+ lymphocytes, and (4) a relative increase in CD8+, CD8+CD38+ and CD8+CD57+ T lymphocytes. In addition, during a 6-month follow-up of six seroconverters we observed a dynamic pattern of changes of these parameters in most individuals, with a resulting profile similar to that observed in group 1 HIV-positive patients. CONCLUSION: The early phase of HIV infection is immunologically characterized by type 2 cytokine secretion and alterations in the expression of phenotypic markers, and closely resembles the more advanced phases of HIV infection. These immunologic alterations are temporally limited by the successive return to a more normal profile. Thus, HIV infection is an immunological complex dynamic process even in its earliest phases.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1996

No evidence of a higher risk of progression to AIDS in patients with HIV-1-related severe thrombocytopenia.

The prognostic role of platelet (PLT) counts was evaluated in a cohort of 1,533 HIV-1-infected subjects followed for a median of 21 months. Thrombocytopenia (TCP), defined as a PLT count < or = 100 x 10(9)/L was present at enrollment in 11.2% of cases, with counts < or = 50 x 10(9)/L (severe TCP) in 5.3%. With the subjects with normal PLT counts (PLT >150 x 10(9)/L) as the reference group, the relative risk of developing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was 0.8 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.5-1.3, p = 0.4] for subjects with severe TCP, 2.1 (95% CI 1.4-3.1, p = 0.002) for those with PLT counts ranging from 51 to 100 x 10(9)/L (moderate TCP), and 1.6 (95% CI 1.2-2.1, p = 0.0004) for those with borderline PLT values (PLT ranging from 101 to 150 x 10(9)/L). Most of the risk increase associated with moderate TCP and borderline PLT values was explained by a higher prevalence of subjects with an older age and lower CD4+ cell counts. However, at multivariable analysis considering age, sex, risk group, and zidovudine (ZDV) treatment, the risk for subjects with severe TCP remained significantly lower than that for subjects with moderate TCP and borderline values. These results suggest the existence of different types of HIV-1-associated TCP and also suggest that severe TCP (which often arises in the early phases of infection) is not related to disease progression.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1996

Fibreoptic phototherapy in the management of jaundice in low birthweight neonates.

A fibreoptic phototherapy device has been compared with conventional white and special blue fluorescent phototherapy lamps to evaluate its efficacy in lowering serum bilirubin levels in low-birthweight neonates. Fibreoptic phototherapy was found to be as effective as white light and less effective than blue light, as assessed by (i) the bilirubin concentration after 24 h of phototherapy and at the end of phototherapy, (ii) the duration of phototherapy, (iii) the percentage daily decline rate and (iv) the overall percentage decline rate (p < 0.05). There were no failures of phototherapy and the need for re-exposure was low (4.7% of the total sample), with no difference between groups. The fibreoptic approach represents a promising way to aggregate synergically the most recent optical technologies and develop a modern, efficient and caring phototherapy system for low-birthweight infants.

Fiber Optic Technology↗
PubMed1996

Viral load, viral phenotype modification, zidovudine susceptibility and reverse transcriptase mutations during the first 6 months of zidovudine monotherapy in HIV-1-infected people.

We studied 14 zidovudine-naive, HIV-1-infected patients attending an infectious diseases clinic in Milan during zidovudine therapy for 6 months. We monitored CD4 cell counts, immune complex-dissociated p24 antigen, viral phenotype and viral load in plasma. The virus infecting a subset of patients was examined for zidovudine susceptibility and zidovudine resistance-associated mutations. A significant correlation was established between the increase in the CD4 cell count and the decrease in viral load (Spearman's coefficients < -0.5). Patients who were p24 antigen positive had a higher viral load (P < 0.005 at baseline and after 6 months of therapy). Patients with non-syncytium-inducing (NSI) virus had higher CD4 cell counts over time than those with syncytium-inducing (SI) virus. We also examined the viral load in relation to viral phenotype. The median viral load in patients with NSI virus was higher than in SI controls at baseline, but not after 3 and 6 months of therapy. Sequential isolates of HIV-1 were obtained from nine patients and tested for resistance to zidovudine by monitoring the drug susceptibility and the reverse transcriptase-encoding sequence. Amino acid changes at codons 70 and 215 were present in some but not all isolates with zidovudine-resistant phenotype in vitro. It was possible to perform a correlation between zidovudine susceptibility and zidovudine-associated pol gene mutations only at the 6-month time point (Spearman's coefficient = 0.076). SI phenotype was associated with the development of a decreased zidovudine susceptibility. A correlation between zidovudine-associated pol gene mutations and SI phenotype was detected at the 6-month time point.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1996

Verapamil inhibits to different extents agonist-induced Ca2+ transients in human tumor cells and in vitro tumor cell growth.

Platelet agonists are known to contribute to the regulation of cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels in tumor cells and this property could be relevant in the stimulation of cell proliferation. In the present study we investigated the ability of ADP, collagen and thrombin to increase cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels in different human tumor cell lines (mesothelioma, DND-1A melanoma, HeLa uterine carcinoma) and we analyzed the effect of the calcium channel blocker verapamil on Ca2+ fluxes and on in vitro tumor cell growth. ADP was able to induce a transient increase in the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration in tumor cells from all lines; collagen showed this effect in mesothelioma cells and in HeLa cells, and thrombin was effective only in mesothelioma cells. Verapamil inhibited Ca2+ fluxes induced by the effective agonists in a dose-dependent manner. Values of IC50 for inhibition of ADP-induced Ca2+ transients were 63.5 microM in mesothelioma cells, 97.3 microM in DND-1A cells and 93.5 microM in HeLa cells, while those for inhibition of collagen-induced Ca2+ movements were slightly higher (170.2 microM in mesothelioma cells and 112.3 microM in HeLa cells) and the value of IC50 for inhibition of thrombin-induced Ca2+ fluxes (evaluated only in mesothelioma cells) was lower (22.5 microM). The drug dose-dependently also inhibited the in vitro growth of tumor cells; values of IC50 for growth inhibition were 21.8 microM in mesothelioma cells, 9.1 microM in DND-1A cells and 6.4 microM in HeLa cells, suggesting that the antiproliferative activity of verapamil was partly Ca(2+)-independent. These data may be of interest to elucidate the mechanisms of the two-way interactions of tumors with the hemostatic system and may help to identify new pharmacologic strategies for their control.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1995

HLA-A, B, C, DR and DQ expression and hepatocellular carcinoma: study of 205 Italian subjects.

We have evaluated the frequency of HLA class I and II antigens in 205 Italian patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 749 blood donors (controls). Moreover, we have looked for correlations between HLA antigen frequencies and HBV and/or HCV infections in HCC patients. We found great differences in HLA antigen frequencies considering only two groups: HCC patients and controls. The polymorphism is smaller when we consider the different groups of HCC patients in regard to the previous viral infections (HBV and/or HCV). The most interesting finding is the higher frequency of Cw7, B8 and DR3 in almost all groups of HCC patients. It is well known, that the HLA A1, Cw7, B8, DR3 antigen haplotype is associated with a rapid decline of CD4 cells, and HLA B8, DR3 positive subjects may display some changes in immune parameters and are prone to develop several immunological diseases. Thus HCC might be the result of a lower sensitivity (genetically given) to mitogenic stimuli of HBV and HCV.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Effect of different platelet agonists on intracellular free Ca++ concentrations in human tumor cells: possible role in tumor growth.

Modulation of cytoplasmic Ca++ concentration is a mechanism common to signal transduction pathways regulating many cellular phenomena, including the interactions of tumors with the hemostatic system. We have investigated the pro-aggregating and pro-coagulant activities of human tumor cell lines cultured in vitro and the ability of different platelet agonists to induce Ca++ transients in these cells. Cells of a malignant mesothelioma line activated platelets by a thrombin-dependent mechanism; on the contrary, HeLa cells, derived from a uterine cervical cancer, possessed ADP-dependent pro-aggregating activity, and DND-IA melanoma cells did not stimulate platelet aggregation. All cell lines showed a tissue-factor-like procoagulant property, more pronounced in mesothelioma cells. Furthermore, ADP was able to induce a transient increase in cytoplasmic Ca++ concentration in tumor cells from all lines; collagen showed this effect in mesothelioma cells and in HeLa cells, and thrombin was effective only in mesothelioma cells. PAF never induced Ca++ fluxes in any of the cell lines investigated. Finally, the calcium-channel blocker verapamil inhibited agonist-induced Ca++ transients in tumor cells and in vitro tumor-cell growth. These data may help to identify new possible mechanisms of the 2-way interaction of tumors with the hemostatic system.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1995

Tuberculosis cutis miliaris disseminata due to multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in AIDS patients.

Two patients with AIDS and disseminated tuberculosis characterized by cutaneous involvement are reported. They developed a maculopapular skin eruption, from which a multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain was isolated. In both cases the clinical course was rapidly fatal. Tuberculosis cutis miliaris disseminata should be differentiated from the skin lesions frequently seen in HIV-infected patients, especially from folliculitis. In patients with tuberculosis, the appearance of cutaneous lesions may be due to the haematogenous dissemination of mycobacteria. Therefore, early identification of the causative organism by use of optimal microbiological methods is fundamental.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1995

Changes of cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) parameters in situational insomnia under brotizolam and triazolam.

The standardized scoring criteria of sleep can serve as a rough tool for monitoring the effects of psychoactive compounds, both in normal sleepers and in insomniac patients. More sensitive information on the impact of perturbing factors and drugs during sleep is supplied by the cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) parameters. In particular, CAP rate, which measures the amount of arousal instability during NREM sleep, has been proved of high reliability in a variety of clinical and pharmacological settings. The present study aimed at evaluating the activity of brotizolam (Br) 0.25 mg and triazolam (Tr) 0.25 mg on both conventional and CAP parameters in a model of situational insomnia of intermediate severity. Six middle-aged healthy subjects (three males and three females, aged 40-55 years) with no complaints about sleep, underwent a polysomnographic investigation according to a double-blind crossover design: placebo without noise (night 1), placebo with noise (night 2), brotizolam or triazolam without noise (nights 3 and 5), brotizolam or triazolam with noise (nights 4 and 6). The unperturbed nights consisted of standard recording conditions in a sound-protected sleep laboratory, whereas situational insomnia was accomplished by means of continuous white noise at 55 dBA delivered throughout the night. Subjects received medication orally at bedtime. An interval of at least 48 h was secured between consecutive recordings in the same individual. Compared to baseline conditions, situational insomnia was characterized by a shorter amount of total sleep (-40 min) and by an extension of intrasleep awakenings (+62 min).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The dephosphorylation of AMP and IMP by a soluble low Km 5'nucleotidase from human seminal plasma: some regulatory aspects.

In this study, a soluble low Km 5'nucleotidase, dephosphorylating IMP with a Vmax/Km ratio 10-times higher than that of AMP, has been purified from human seminal plasma. The effect of inorganic phosphate (Pi) and adenylate energy charge variations on the activity of this enzyme has also been investigated. In the physiological range, with IMP as substrate, the activity of the enzyme does not change whereas the hydrolysis of AMP increases with decreasing energy charge values. In the presence of both the substrates, phosphate exerts an inhibitory effect on the enzyme activity with a similar concentration dependence pattern. The results show that AMP-hydrolysing activity responds to variations of energy charge by increasing the AMP degradation thus protecting the value of energy charge at the expense of a decrease in the total adenylate pool. In contrast, the dephosphorylation of IMP is not regulated by changes in energy charge. This data suggests that the degradation of IMP and AMP, although carried out by the same enzyme, is controlled by different regulatory mechanisms.

5'-Nucleotidase↗
PubMed1995

Better efficacy of twice-monthly than monthly aerosolised pentamidine for secondary prophylaxis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with AIDS. An Italian multicentric randomised controlled trial. The Italian PCP Study Group.

The aim of this multicentric randomised controlled trial was to evaluate long-term efficacy and safety of once-monthly versus twice-monthly 300 mg aerosolized pentamidine (AP) as secondary prophylaxis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). We randomised 205 patients with a previous confirmed episode of PCP (107 treated with 300 mg once-monthly AP, and 98 with 300 mg twice monthly AP); the median review period was 232 days. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox's hazard regression model were used for analysis. The main outcome assessments were PCP recurrence, survival and incidence of drug toxicity. The two groups were balanced for prognostic predictors. In the once-monthly AP group, 14 relapses of confirmed PCP were observed, while five occurred in the twice-monthly AP group; the crude relative risk (RR) was 2.69 (95% CI 1.002-7.236, P=0.0496) and the adjusted RR accounting for prognostic predictors was 2.62 (95% CI 0.92-7.5, P=0.071). Death occurred in 36 of 26 patients respectively (adjusted RR 1.32, 95% CI 0.8-2.18, P=0.28). Two patients interrupted the study because of intolerance to AP (one in each group), and severe coughing occurred in two patients (one in each group). At the end of the study, pulmonary function tests were not changed compared with baseline and were the same between the two groups. Our study suggests that 300 mg twice-monthly AP is more effective than 300 mg once-monthly AP as secondary prophylaxis of PCP.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1995

Frequent detection of antibodies against HTLV antigens in patients with AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

We studied the prevalence of anti-HTLV-I/II antibodies in 22 patients with AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), 453 HIV-1-infected patients without lymphoma (194 of whom were diagnosed as having AIDS), and 6 HIV-1-positive and 75 HIV-1-negative patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. The frequency of serological reactivity against HTLV antigens was significantly higher in the AIDS patients with lymphoma than in those without (8 of 22, 36.4% vs. 20 of 194, 10.3%-p = 0.0027). One of the HIV-1-positive and none of the HIV-1-negative patients with Hodgkin lymphoma showed anti-HTLV-I/II reactivity. Four of the eight seropositive NHL patients showed antibodies directed against HTLV-II recombinant antigens when tested for serological discrimination in a Western blot assay. A PCR study of PBMCs from the only patient with NHL still alive at the time of the study showed HTLV-II-specific sequences in the genomic DNA. These data suggest that HTLV-II or a closely homologous retrovirus infects a high proportion of patients with AIDS-associated NHL.

Adult↗