Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Rosselli

Publications and source records attributed to M Rosselli.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Impairment of the developmental potential of frozen-thawed human zygotes obtained after intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of cryopreservation on the survival, cleavage, and morphology of embryos and on the implantation and embryonic loss rates of human zygotes obtained after ICSI compared with frozen-thawed zygotes obtained after traditional IVF. A further objective was to evaluate the same parameters in nonfrozen sibling ICSI and IVF zygotes and to compare them with corresponding frozen-thawed zygotes. DESIGN: Open, retrospective, comparative study. SETTING: University-associated assisted reproductive program. PATIENT(S): Couples with severe male factor infertility and couples undergoing IVF during the same period. INTERVENTION(S): A cohort of 408 ICSI zygotes and 299 IVF zygotes was frozen in 1,2 propanediol and sucrose using a slow-freezing protocol. Both groups of zygotes were frozen at approximately the same time after microassisted or conventional insemination. One hundred and eighty-seven ICSI and 110 IVF frozen zygotes were rapidly thawed during 44 ICSI cycles and 24 IVF cycles. Zygotes that appeared to have survived were cultured for 24 hours, and most of these embryos that were morphologically normal were transferred into patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Survival rate (morphologically intact after thawing), cleavage rate and morphology of embryos, implantation rate, and the incidence of embryonic losses. RESULT(S): Except for survival rates, for which both ICSI and IVF frozen-thawed zygotes showed similar and relatively high values (87.7% and 89.1%), the outcomes of other parameters evaluated were significantly different. Thus, from a total of 128 ICSI and 68 IVF embryos transferred, 14 (10.9%) and 17 (25.0%) implanted in 44 ICSI and 24 IVF frozen-thawed cycles, respectively. This difference in implantation corresponded with the rate of cleavage and morphology of the replaced embryos; the embryos that developed from frozen-thawed IVF zygotes cleaved faster and were more regular compared to the frozen-thawed ICSI zygotes. The embryonic loss rate was 57.1% for cryopreserved ICSI zygotes and 11.8% for IVF zygotes. On the other hand, no difference in cleavage pattern, embryo morphology, implantation, and embryonic loss rates was found between nonfrozen sibling ICSI and IVF zygotes. CONCLUSION(S): The zygotes arising from ICSI cycles survived cryopreservation at a rate similar to IVF zygotes, but their ability to implant and develop further was probably affected by the cryopreservation procedure. The timing of zygote freezing was considered to be the principal reason for the lower developmental potential of frozen-thawed ICSI zygotes in the present study.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Variability of the Boston test for the diagnosis of aphasia in active working adults].

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of age, gender, socioeconomic status (SES), academic achievement (education), and type of occupation, on the performance of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE) Spanish version. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The BDAE was administered to a group of 156, 19 to 60 years old, occupationally active normal subjects. RESULTS: A descriptive analysis showed that some subjects (1 to 3%) scored in the pathological range of the centiles and profiles of the BDAE. A MANOVA (p < 0.05) demonstrated a significant effect of education over most of the BDAE subtests. Females outperformed males on some reading and writing subtests. SES had an effect over body part identification and naming. Significant differences were observed between younger and middle age groups in confrontation naming, oral and word picture reading. The older group scored significantly lower than the younger group in serial writing and sentences to dictation. No differences were observed between the older and the middle groups. Only oral spelling was affected by the type of occupation but a significant interaction of occupation and level of education was found. CONCLUSIONS: Language tests are influenced by demographic variables, particularly education. Normal variability on the BDAE should be considered when dealing with clinical populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Clinical features of early-onset Alzheimer disease in a large kindred with an E280A presenilin-1 mutation.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize clinical features of a very large pedigree with early-onset Alzheimer disease (AD) in which all affected individuals carry the identical glutamic acid-to-alanine mutation at codon 280 in the presenilin-1 gene. DESIGN: Clinical histories were obtained by patient and family interviews and through medical or civil records. Using standard diagnostic criteria, a case series of 128 individuals was identified, of which 6 have definitive (autopsy-proven) early-onset AD, 93 have probable early-onset AD, and 29 have possible early-onset AD. SETTING: Community based in Antioquia, Colombia. PATIENTS: A population-based sample in which all members of 5 extended families (nearly 3000 individuals) were surveyed. Criteria for inclusion required obtaining sufficient information to categorize the individual as affected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Age at onset, neuropsychological profile, neurologic history, and examination. RESULTS: The patients had a mean age at onset of 46.8 years (range, 34-62 years). The average interval until death was 8 years. Headache was noted in affected individuals significantly more frequently than in those not affected. The most frequent presentation was memory loss followed by behavior and personality changes and progressive loss of language ability. In the final stages, gait disturbances, seizures, and myoclonus were frequent. CONCLUSIONS: Other than the early onset, this clinical phenotype is indistinguishable from sporadic AD except that affected individuals frequently complained of headache preceding and during the disease. Despite the uniform genetic basis for the disease, there was significant variability in the age at onset, suggesting an important role for environmental factors or genetic modifiers in determining the age at onset.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Relationship between site of disease and familial occurrence in Crohn's disease.

Concordance in the extent of disease among the family members of patients with Crohn's disease has not been widely investigated. Furthermore, the relationship between the site of the disease and familial occurrence has never been studied. Our aim was to evaluate the familial occurrence of Crohn's disease in the various sites. Nine hundred thirty-four patients with Crohn's disease, observed consecutively in two gastrointestinal departments, were investigated to determine first-degree familial incidence (in both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis). Whenever two or more members were attending the same clinic, only one was regarded as a propositus. The analysis, therefore, was carried out on 882 patients. The exact site of the disease was determined in all patients either at diagnosis or during the follow-up by colonoscopy and by small bowel enema. The rate of concordance in the extent of disease and familial occurrence in the various sites was evaluated and the difference was calculated by chi-square test. Sixty-one propositi were identified among all the patients. Forty-nine had familial occurrence for the same disease (concordant patients), whereas 12 had at least one relative with ulcerative colitis (discordant patients). In 44 propositi with only one relative affected, the rates of concordance in the extent of the disease were 84, 68, 18, and 0% respectively, for the ileum, the ileum-right colon, the ileum-total colon, and the colon. The number of propositi in the various sites was as follows: 4 of 162 (2.4%) patients with the disease located in the colon, 1 of 9 (11%) with the jejunum site, 24 of 380 (6.3%) with the ileum site, 16 of 165 (9.7%) with the ileum and right colon site, and 16 of 164 (9.7%) with the ileum and total colon site. The chi-square values of propositi distribution among other sites and the colon was, respectively, as follows: jejunum, 2.2 (N.S.); ileum, 3.4 (P = 0.06); ileum and right colon, 7.4 (P = 0.006); and ileum and total colon, 7.4 (P = 0.006). This study shows a pronounced concordance in the site of the disease for family members with Crohn's disease and suggests that familial occurrence in Crohn's disease is less frequent when the disease is located in the colon rather than elsewhere.

Colitis, Ulcerative↗
PubMed1997

Mesalamine in the maintenance treatment of Crohn's disease: a meta-analysis adjusted for confounding variables.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The benefit of mesalamine for maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease is controversial. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of mesalamine in maintaining remission of quiescent Crohn's disease. METHODS: Pertinent randomized clinical trials were selected using MEDLINE (1986-1997) database, reference lists from published articles or reviews. Fifteen randomized, controlled trials of mesalamine maintenance therapy involving a total of 2097 patients were selected. The crude rates of patients with symptomatic relapse in treated and control groups were extracted according to the intention-to-treat method. RESULTS: Therapy with mesalamine significantly reduced the risk of symptomatic relapse (pooled risk difference, -6.3%; 95% confidence interval, -10.4% to -2.1%). The pooled risk difference was significant in the postsurgical setting (-13.1%; 95% confidence interval, -21.8% to -4.5%) but not in the medical setting (-4.7%; 95% confidence interval, -9.6% to 2.8%). Multivariate model predicts that the probability of symptomatic relapse significantly decreases with mesalamine treatment, by increasing proportion of patients with ileal disease, with prolonged disease duration, and with surgically induced remission. CONCLUSIONS: Mesalamine may be recommended for maintaining remission of quiescent Crohn's disease. The benefit is mainly observed in the postsurgical setting, in patients with ileitis and with prolonged disease duration.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗
PubMed1997

Differential effects of hormone-replacement therapy on endogenous nitric oxide (nitrite/nitrate) levels in postmenopausal women substituted with 17 beta-estradiol valerate and cyproterone acetate or medroxyprogesterone acetate.

Increased incidence of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women (PMW) is accompanied by ovarian dysfunction; hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can have cardioprotective effects. Because hypertension and atherosclerosis are associated with impaired release of endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) and increased levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), we investigated whether HRT augments NO release, and whether these increases are accompanied by a decrease in LDL levels in PMW. We determined serum nitrite/ nitrate (NO2-/NO3-) and LDL levels at baseline (before initiation of HRT) and during the 6th and 12th months of the study. The PMW (n = 26) received continuous oral administration of estradiol valerate (Progynova, 2 mg daily) for 21 days supplemented with either oral cyproterone acetate (CPA; 1 mg; n = 11) or medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA; 5 mg; n = 15) on days 12-21 of each treatment cycle. Blood samples in the PMW receiving HRT were collected at times while the subjects were taking estradiol valerate alone and estradiol valerate plus CPA or MPA. Compared with the samples collected at baseline, serum NO2-/NO3- levels increased significantly from 20.1 +/- 1.58 mumol/L at baseline to 30 +/- 3.7 mumol/L (P < 0.01) in samples collected after 12 months of HRT while the PMW were not taking progestins (CPA or MPA), and to 25.4 +/- 2 mumol/L (P < 0.05) when all the samples, regardless of the treatment with CPA or MPA, were included in the analysis. Moreover, > 30% increase in serum NO2-/NO3- levels were observed only in 13 (responders) out of 26 PMW substituted with estradiol valerate, suggesting that estradiol may improve endogenous NO synthesis in a differential fashion. Compared with baseline, no significant increases in serum NO2-/NO3- were observed in samples collected while the estradiol-treated responders were taking either CPA or MPA. In contrast to NO2-/NO3- serum LDL levels were significantly reduced in samples collected after 12 months of HRT (P < 0.05 vs. baseline). Furthermore, levels of NO2-/NO3 showed a significant negative correlation with the levels of LDL (r2 = 0.17; P < 0.05) in the responders but not in nonresponders. These results indicate that oral administration of estradiol valerate in PMW for HRT increases circulating NO levels, an effect that may contribute to the cardioprotective effects of HRT in PMW. In addition, our data suggests but does not prove that concomitant administration of a progestin may attenuate the beneficial effects of estrogen replacement therapy with regard to NO release. Finally, our data provides evidence for the existence of responders and nonresponders to postmenopausal estrogen treatment with respect to improvement of endogenous NO levels, suggesting that a significant number, but not all, of the hormonally substituted PMW profit fully from the beneficial properties of a HRT.

Estradiol↗
PubMed1997

Alexia and agraphia in posterior cortical atrophy.

A 65-year-old woman with progressive visuospatial dysfunction for 2 years complained of later-onset associated memory impairment. MRI revealed diffuse cerebrocortical atrophy, which was especially severe in both parieto-occipital regions but spared the calcarine and pericalcarine cortices. Examination 5 years after onset revealed left visual hemi-neglect, oculomotor apraxia, optic ataxia, simultanagnosia, verbal alexia, lexical and spatial agraphia, and anterograde amnesia. This patient's disorder is considered in the context of previous reports on the array of cognitive disturbances associated with posterior cortical atrophy (pCA). Special emphasis is made on her reading and writing disturbances, because their prevalence and range of individual variability have not been established in pCA. This array of neuropsychological manifestations may help to distinguish among different clinical and etiological types of pCA, and to elucidate the pathophysiology of a syndrome that has been associated with conditions as diverse as Alzheimer's disease, subcortical gliosis, and prion diseases. The parameters described in our case may thus help to address these issues in clinico-pathological studies with large numbers of patients with pCA.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Effect of a programmed short-term stimulation protocol on the replacement of cryopreserved embryos.

PURPOSE: Through problems in the management of embryo thawings and transfers, we investigated in a comparative study the use of the natural cycle and of a programmed short-term stimulation protocol as preparation method for the replacement of cryopreserved embryos. To date, 117 embryos have been thawed, and 60 (51%) survived with > or = 50% intact blastomeres. METHODS: In 31 cases, replacement of the frozen-thawed embryos was planned in the natural cycle (group A) and in nine cases in the stimulated cycle (group B). In group A, 16 replacements could be performed (cancellation rate 48%). Six transfers took place on weekends (37%). Two clinical pregnancies could be established (13% per replacement). In group B, there were no canceled cycles (p < 0.025). All thawings and transfers could be conducted between Monday and Friday. In one case, the single one frozen embryo was degenerated after thawing. RESULTS: Thus, eight replacements could be performed which resulted in three clinical pregnancies (38% per replacement, n.s.) and one biochemical pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, we conclude that a programmed short-term protocol not only provides viable embryos with a good cryopreservation potential, but it is also a reliable preparation method for the replacement of frozen-thawed embryos.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Cognitive effects of cocaine and polydrug abuse.

One hundred and eighty-three participants were divided into three groups containing: 61 cocaine-dependent; 59 polydrug-dependent; and 63 normal subjects. All were evaluated using a basic neuropsychological assessment battery. The dependent groups exhibited significantly lower scores on short-term memory, attention, and concept formation tests. Performance on some subtests correlated negatively with the length of dependency and frequency of substance use. As compared with the control group, the dependent groups exhibited significant differences in the following personal and family areas: (a) depression and anxiety traits; (b) self-aggression and lack of fear in childhood; (c) family history of substance dependency; and (d) difficulties with interpersonal relationships. The operation of predisposing developmental factors for substance dependence is suggested.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Identification of nitric oxide synthase in human and bovine oviduct.

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is responsible for the biological production of nitric oxide (NO) in several organs. NOS activity has also been localized in the reproductive tract, although direct evidence for its presence in the human or bovine oviduct is still lacking. In the present study, four different techniques were used to identify the presence of NOS activity in human (n = 11) and bovine (n = 9) oviduct: (i) conversion of [3H]-L-arginine to [3H]-L-citrulline; (ii) production of nitrite/nitrate (NO2/NO3; stable NO metabolites); (iii) identification of NADPH-diaphorase activity; and (iv) immunostaining with antiserum to endothelial NOS. Cytosolic extracts from human ampullary segments of the Fallopian tube, obtained from post-partum patients (n = 4), converted [3H]-L-arginine to [3H]-L-citrulline (21.0 +/- 8.8 fmol/mg protein/min). This conversion rate was significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in the presence of either EDTA or N-monomethyl-L-arginine monoacetate (L-NMMA), an inhibitor of NOS activity. When bovine (n = 3) ampullary segments were incubated for 36 h in Hanks' balanced salt solution, the concentration of NO2/NO3 in the medium was increased (P < 0.05) if segments were pretreated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; an inducer of inducible NOS), but not after treatment with LPS + L-NMMA. Additionally, epithelial cells cultured from ampullary segments showed positive staining both for NADPH-diaphorase activity and with antiserum to endothelial NOS. The results of the present study provide direct evidence for the presence of both the Ca(2+)-dependent constitutive form of NOS, as well as the inducible form of NOS activity in human and bovine oviduct. Since the oviduct plays a key role in the reproductive process, it is possible that the two forms of NOS may be involved in the physiological regulation of oviduct function.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Nuclear maturity and oocyte morphology after stimulation with highly purified follicle stimulating hormone compared to human menopausal gonadotrophin.

Several studies have shown that high concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the follicular phase of stimulation can have a negative effect on oocyte quality, pregnancy rate and incidence of miscarriage. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of highly purified follicle stimulating/hormone (FSH HP) on ovarian stimulation and particularly on nuclear maturity and morphological appearance of the oocyte in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) therapy and to compare the results with human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) stimulation. For this purpose, 50 patients for ICSI (HMG: 30; FSH HP: 20) and 26 patients for in-vitro fertilization (IVF; HMG: 14, FSH HP: 12) were stimulated with either HMG or FSH HP using a short-term protocol. Patients were divided into the two groups according to the first letter of their family name. No differences were observed among the groups in relation to patient age, duration of stimulation, number of aspirated oocytes or maturity of the oocyte-cumulus complex. After removal of the cumulus-corona cells in the ICSI oocytes, a significantly higher proportion of oocytes in the FSH HP group were nuclear mature (metaphase II) than in the HMG group (FSH HP: 88.8%, HMG: 80.6%; P = 0.009). Furthermore, in the FSH HP group, significantly fewer oocytes with dark cytoplasm were observed (FSH HP: 14.4%, HMG: 22.4%; P = 0.02). Fertilization, cleavage and pregnancy rates (FSH HP 38%, HMG: 34% per retrieval) were comparable in both groups. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the short-term FSH HP treatment protocol synchronizes oocyte maturation better than comparable stimulation with HMG.

Cell Nucleus↗
PubMed1996

The chromosomal complements of multipronuclear human zygotes resulting from intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Implementation of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in human in-vitro fertilization (IVF) has highlighted the need for information about the risk of nuclear spindle damage caused by this procedure. For this purpose we studied the final products of oocyte meiosis at the first cleavage division of multipronuclear zygotes arising after ICSI, and compared the results with abnormally fertilized oocytes after conventional in-vitro insemination. Of 37 successfully analysed tripronuclear zygotes, 18 had three individual metaphases. Abnormal complements of 11 zygotes in this group indicated that non-disjunction occurred predominantly at the second meiotic division of the oocytes. Nine of the 37 tripronuclear zygotes exhibited two individual metaphases. Seven were abnormal and there were some indications that non-disjunction took place during oocyte meiosis. Of the 37 tripronuclear zygotes, 10 had a single metaphase and three showed an aneuploid number of chromosomes. The overall rate of aneuploidy among tripronuclear microinjected zygotes was 56.7%. In addition, seven zygotes with more than three pronuclei arising after ICSI displayed severely depleted chromosome complements. The incidence of non-disjunction in oocytes fertilized by conventional in-vitro insemination was significantly lower (20.0%, P < 0.01), since only four zygotes had an aneuploid number of chromosomes. Our findings suggest that ICSI might interfere with regular chromosome segregation at the second meiotic division of the oocytes.

Aneuploidy↗
PubMed1996

Increased nitric oxide activity in early renovascular hypertension.

A decreased influence of nitric oxide (NO) in the peripheral vasculature is associated with the pathophysiology of established hypertension, and some studies suggest that increased blood pressure positively correlates with decreased NO production. If so, then the increased arterial pressure in one-kidney, one-clip (1K1C) hypertensive rats should be associated with decreased circulating levels of nitrite/nitrate (NO2/NO3; stable metabolites of NO) and guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP; mediator of NO action). We measured serum NO2/NO3 and cGMP levels in early hypertensive 1K1C (2 wk after clipping) and shamoperated one-kidney (1K) normotensive rats, treated orally with or without the NO-synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 2 wk). Compared with those in 1K rats, NO2/NO3 and cGMP levels were increased in 1K1C hypertensive rats but not in 1K1C rats treated with L-NAME. NO2/NO3 and cGMP levels in L-NAME-treated 1K and 1K1C rats were similar. Compared with that in 1K rats, systolic blood pressure (SBP) was increased in 1K1C rats and in L-NAME-treated 1K and 1K1C rats. The SBP increase in L-NAME-treated 1K1C rats was more rapid than in untreated 1K1C rats. In early hypertension, increases in SBP positively correlated with increases in serum NO2/NO3 and cGMP. After 2 wk of hypertension, circulating NO2/NO3 levels gradually declined and reached prehypertension levels by the fifth week of hypertension. These results provide evidence for increased NO synthesis in early hypertensive 1K1C rats, and this increased NO could be a compensatory mechanism to slow the development of hypertension in these animals.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Spontaneous language production and aging: sex and educational effects.

Sex and educational level effects on spontaneous language production at different ages were analyzed in a 180-normal subject sample taken from the general population. Subjects were divided into groups according to three variables: (1) age (16-30, 31-50, and 51-65 years), (2) educational level (3-7, 8-12 and more than 12 years of formal educational), and (3) sex (males and females) with 10 subjects in each cell. The oral description of the Plate #1 ("The Cookie Theft") from the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (Goodglass & Kaplan, 1972) was selected. Number of nouns, verbs, adjectives and grammatical connectors were scored for each subject's picture description. It was concluded that: (1) the ratio among different phrase elements was very uniform across age, educational level and sex groups; (2) the total number of words used to describe the "The Cookie Theft" picture significantly increased with the subject's educational level; (3) the amount of spontaneous language in general decreased with age; however, a significant interaction-effect between age and sex was observed. A steady and pronounced spontaneous language decrease across age-groups was observed in males. However, only mild differences across age-groups were observed in female subjects. It was hypothetized that language changes during aging are strongly sex-dependent: while in men spontaneous language rapidly decreases with aging, in women spontaneous language production remains quite well-preserved.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Mortality in patients with Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: No data on mortality for Crohn's disease are available from southern Europe. METHODS: Five hundred and thirty-one patients with Crohn's disease were observed in our unit between 1973 and 1993. In 325 patients the first diagnosis was made in our hospital. In this consecutive incidence series, in which the follow-up was 99% complete, the standardized mortality rate (SMR) was calculated. RESULTS: Nine deaths were observed, against 9.25 expected. The SMR was 0.97 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.4-1.8). The relative risk of dying was significantly higher in the female group in the first 5 years after diagnosis (SMR, 10.3; 95% CI, 2.30-30.2). There was an excess of deaths from tumors of the digestive organs (1 observed, 0.37 expected). CONCLUSIONS: These results show that in our geographic area the mortality from Crohn's disease was not increased as shown in other community studies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[Treatment of acute a steroid-resistant ulcerative colitis with continuous venous infusion of cyclosporine].

UNLABELLED: Aim of this open study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a low-dose treatment of continuous intravenous infusion of cyclosporine. We treated twelve patients with severe active ulcerative colitis, that did not respond to high doses of intravenous steroid for at least ten days. We used a dose of 2 mg/kg/day for 15 days. After this period, if patients improved, cyclosporine was administered orally at the dose of 6 mg/kg/day for six months. The response rate to acute phase therapy was 92.8%. The mean response time was 5.8 days. Sixty-nine percent of patients responded within the first week. No adverse reaction was observed. The first five patients responding to acute phase therapy relapsed during or at the end of maintenance phase. Because of that, azathioprine was associated in the successive patients. Only 4 out of 12 patients (33%) were operated on. CONCLUSIONS: continuous intravenous infusion of cyclosporine at dosage of 2 mg/kg/day is a highly effective and safe therapy that may avoid or defer colectomy to eligible conditions.

Acute Disease↗