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Biomedical subjects

M Tommasi

Publications and source records attributed to M Tommasi.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

[Study of the innervation of the spinal ligaments at the lumbar level].

The authors studied the innervation of the human lumbar spinal ligaments on cadaver or surgical specimens. In the ligaments annexed to the neural arch and in the posterior longitudinal ligament were found free-ending fibers and amyelinic perivascular fibers. In the anterior longitudinal ligament, coexisting with perivascular fibers were found encapsulated corpuscular formations on the ventrolateral aspect of the junction between the intervertebral disc and vertebral body. These findings comfort the role of the anterior longitudinal ligament in proprioception essential both in static and dynamic function of the spine.

Humans↗
PubMed1986

[Immunohistochemistry of thyroglobulin in the diagnosis of clear cell carcinomas of the cervical region].

6 thyroid gland and 3 cervical lymph node clear-cells carcinomas are investigated by means of indirect immunofluorescence detection of thyroglobulin. Immunofluorescence was positive only in 1 case, which was a primitive thyroid carcinoma. In 7 other cases, its negativity pointed at the metastatic nature of the lesion, from a clear cell carcinoma of kidney (in 4 cases, nephrectomy was very remote, and in 3 cases, the renal lesion was discovered after our examination of the thyroid tumour). One observation showed negative staining reaction, and was a propagation of a parathyroid carcinoma to the thyroid gland. It is concluded that thyroglobulin can be used as an immunohistochemical marker to establish whether a clear cell cervical tumour originates from thyroid gland, or is a metastatic neoplasm.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1985

In vitro analysis of BCNU-sensitivity in human malignant gliomas. I. A model study with alkylating, cross-linking and carbamoylating agents in anaplastic astrocytomas of pediatric age.

Like all chloroethyl-nitrosoureas of major clinical use, 1,3 bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) - which is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents for CNS malignancies - biologically degrades into active alkylating and carbamoylating moieties. Using a human brain tumor stem cell assay, we analyzed a series of anaplastic astrocytomas of pediatric age, characterized by different degrees of BCNU-resistance. Early (2-4) passage cultures from these tumors were treated in vitro with model drugs for alkylation (BCNU, CHLZ (2-[3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosoureido]-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose), ENU (N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea), cross-linking (BCNU, CHLZ) and carbamoylation BHCNU (1,3 bis (trans-4-hydrocyclohexyl)-1-nitrosourea): dose-schedules were compatible with clinically achievable levels. Results of chemosensitivity tests confirmed that - as previously reported in malignant gliomas of the adult - cellular resistance to BCNU was closely related to the cross-linking activity of alkylating species. However, in pediatric gliomas the levels of cell kill after treatment with the purely carbamoylating agent BHCNU, even at the highest doses tested, were lower than expected.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1985

[Hallervorden-Spatz disease with Lewy bodies].

At the age of 6 years a patient developed disorders of character, intellectual deterioration, tremor, falls and epileptic seizures. This was followed by extrapyramidal and pyramidal disorders with a fatal outcome at age 21. There was no family history. Histopathology showed evidence of Hallervorden-Spatz disease, remarkable by the diffusion of spheroids into the central nervous system gray matter and by the presence of innumerable Lewy bodies in the substantia nigra and locus coeruleus. Similar findings have been reported in only 3 other cases of typical Hallervorden-Spatz disease. They suggest a preferential affection of monoaminergic neurons.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

[Regressive bilocular acute pseudotumoral demyelinization. Second lesion development after 10 years of remission].

The authors report what seems to be the 4th case of acute pseudotumoral demyelinating disease with regressive evolution. Onset was marked by hemiplegia with tumoral pattern on CAT-scan and pneumoencephalography and an important cystic cavity at surgery. Controlateral hemiplegia occurred 2 months later. After a period of partial recovery a long period of remission was observed, followed by a relapse 10 years after the first symptoms. This case suggests that remissions reaching 10 years are possible in such pseudotumoral demyelinating disease, but also shows that there are late secondary evolutions, as in multiple sclerosis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1984

[Bilateral parietal syndrome approximating a Balint syndrome].

A patient presented with disorders of saccadic and pursuit movements a wandering gaze, the impossibility to maintain fixation, a concentric shortening of visual attention mainly of the right side, an incomplete right homonymous hemianopia (respecting 10 to 20 degrees), and optical and auditory ataxia predominantly affecting the right hand. Pathology showed a large left parietal glioma in the white matter in the superior and inferior parietal lobes, with microscopic evidence of parietal cortex invasion. A hematoma on the right side was situated entirely parasagitally in the precuneus, approaching the cortex at this level. The two lesions were independent and the splenium was intact. The frontal lobes were normal. A review of nearly 30 cases of bilateral syndrome of the parieto-occipital junction showed that anomalies of visually guided ocular movements were always present. These cases require differentiation from those, such as the present case, which involve mainly a visuomotor coordination disorder and from those with predominant visual disorientation.

Ataxia↗
PubMed1984

Immunohistochemical study of the catecholaminergic systems in the lower brain stem of the human infant.

The study of catecholaminergic (CA) systems in the lower brain stem was undertaken in the infant. A method of indirect immunohistofluorescence using antibodies to tyrosine-hydroxylase (TH) was applied to five brains from infants whose deaths had no neurological cause; two brains were submitted to fully systematic investigation. A topographical and morphocytological analysis of the CA systems was carried out on horizontal serial sections. A neuronal map is shown presenting four bulbar and four pontine sections. The disposition of the main CA groups (i.e. A1, A2, locus coeruleus) was found to be consistent with the data provided by the literature concerning the human foetus and the adult. Topographic differences and peculiarities are emphasized in the infant. Mapping of phenylethanolamine N methyltransferase (PNMT) positive neurons was performed in one plane of section of mid-medulla. This technique might usefully be applied to the exploration of putative diseases of bulbopontine CA systems, such as the sudden infant death syndrome and central blood pressure disorders.

Brain Mapping↗
PubMed1984

[X-ray scanning in Marchiafava-Bignami disease].

CT scan in 4 patients with Marchiafava-Bignami's disease in its acute alcoholic form, who died after 12, 18, 30 and 50 days respectively, demonstrated large symmetrical bilateral hypodense areas in the hemispheric white substance. These areas were either widespread or more marked posteriorly, and were independent of the corpus callosum. Pathologic examination of the brains showed necrotic regions, often with cavities, or areas of demyelinization of the centrum ovale correlating with the hypodense areas as seen on CT scans. In two cases CT scan further showed regions of linear hypodensity in front of and medial to the frontal ventricular horns which could have corresponded to the corpus callosum necrosis found on the brain sections. CT scan can thus contribute to the diagnosis of Marchiafava-Bignami's disease.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1983

[Neuromediators in the brain of the aged].

From a review of the literature it appears that only dopaminergic and cholinergic deficiencies are well established in the elderly. Other changes, still awaiting description and confirmation, are likely to consist of deficiency, overfunctioning or complex imbalance depending on the system involved. They will probably show that ageing of the brain begins at an early stage in life and that there is a need for considering not only very old people but transformation extending from birth to death. Meanwhile, studying cerebral mediators in healthy elderly subjects is a necessary prerequisite to studies of the brain in old patients with neuropsychiatric disorders.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1983

The significance of measurement of several oncofetal antigens in diagnosis and management of epithelial ovarian tumors.

Association of serum alphafetoprotein (alpha FP), human chorionic gonadotropin beta-subunit (beta-HCG), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and ferritin (FER) was studied in a group of 72 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer 15 days after surgery and at various times during 2 years. Only CEA and ferritin are able to reflect tumor burden in detecting evolutive disease; alpha FP and beta-HCG have a diagnostic significance in few cases, probably related to a particular, not evident, histological component of the tumor. Nevertheless the data indicate that the use of marker association can improve our capacity to detect, overall in the residual and evolutive disease, the real clinical burden of the patients.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1983

Ferritinemia in ovarian malignant tumours.

Seriated ferritin assays were carried out on 95 patients affected by primitive ovarian epithelial tumour over a period of three years (1979/82), by radioimmunometric assay for human spleen ferritin. Ferritin was elevated in endometrioid tumours and in the presence of active progressing disease and chemotherapy did not influence these values. The ferritin/sideremia ratio was high in the case with pathological levels. Studying the glicosilation of this protein a significant amount of ferritin was not bound to concavallin A, suggesting direct release of this protein by tumour cells.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1983

[Topographic and chemical study of the GABA synthetizing enzyme in Parkinsonian syndromes].

After a classical neuropathological study assessing the diagnosis, the activity of the GABA synthetizing enzyme, glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), was assayed in 6 brain areas, in 8 cases of Parkinson's disease, 2 cases of idiopathic orthostatic hypotension and 9 control cases carefully matched. The activity of GAD is not impaired, as classically believed, in parkinsonian brains, particularly in substantia nigra and pallidum. This preservation would indicate the absence of lesion of GABAergic neurones in Parkinson's disease. In the cases of other Parkinsonian syndromes, the number of cases studied is too limited to allow any generality; but they are, however reported because of their rarity.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

Increase in noradrenaline-synthesizing enzyme activity in medulla oblongata in Parkinson's disease.

Dopamine beta hydroxylase (DBH), The noradrenaline-synthesizing enzyme, and phenyl-ethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT), the adrenaline-synthesizing enzyme, were assayed in 18 areas of brain stem in eight cases of parkinsonian syndromes and of four age- and postmortem delay-matched controls. Dissection was performed by the "punch" technique and enzyme activities assayed by radiometric methods. No significant change was found for PNMT activity. DBH activity was significantly increased in the A2-C2 area of the medulla oblongata (including the nucleus tractus solitarius) in the cases of Parkinson's disease. The A2-C2 area is known to be implicated in the control of blood pressure in rats. These findings are discussed in relation to orthostatic hypotension and the influence of L-dopa therapy.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

[X - linked copper malabsorption (trichopoliodystrophy, Menkes' disease). Anatomical and neurochemical study of a case (author's transl)].

The authors report a clinically typical case of trichopoliodystrophy (Menkes' disease) ; Neuropathological studies showed classical alterations, particularly irregular thickenings of Purkinje cell dendrites, and some less usual modifications : presence of an ectopic neuronal layer in the cerebellar molecular layer, suggestive of Obersteiner cells stopped in their progression ; normal appearance of myelin and elastic structures of systemic arteries. Ultrastructural studies showed some calcic concretions in mitochondria of hepatocytes and Purkinje cells, and lamellar structures in the cytoplasm of Purkinje cells, probably of ergastoplasmic origin. The activity of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH, or norepinephrine synthesising enzyme) and of phenylethanolamine - N-methyltransferase (PNMT, or epinephrine synthesising enzyme) was studied in 22 samples of brain stem. Activity was reduced in 3 samples, and increased in 4 : 6 of these 7 samples were from structures involved in cardiovascular and respiratory control. These results suggest the existence of a central vegetative neuropathy, which could explain the cardiovascular and respiratory disturbances sometimes reported in Menkes' disease ; but this neurochemical study gave no account of the sleep organization alterations of the patient.

Brain↗
PubMed1981

[Clinical and pathological study of a case of subacute combined degeneration of the cord with folic acid deficiency (author's transl)].

Clinical and pathological findings in a case of subacute combined degeneration of the cord are described. The patient was a severe alcoholic but there was no vitamin B12 deficiency. Lesions were similar to those observed in Lichtheim's disease. Biological tests demonstrated frank folic acid deficiency, with very low serum and red cells levels. Clinical features included only mild macrocytic anemia, and flexion quadriplegia after a period of disorders of equilibrium. Higher functions were unaffected. Apart from alcoholism, no other toxic or digestive causative factors were found.

Adult↗