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M Trevisan

Publications and source records attributed to M Trevisan.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Cortical event-related potentials show the structure of hypnotic suggestions is crucial.

Electroencephalographic cortical event-related potentials (ERPs) are affected by information processing strategies and are particularly appropriate for the examination of hypnotic alterations in perception. The effects of positive obstructive and negative obliterating instructions on visual and auditory P300 ERPs were tested. Twenty participants, stringently selected for hypnotizability, were requested to perform identical tasks during waking and alert hypnotic conditions. High hypnotizables showed greater ERP amplitudes while experiencing negative hallucinations and lower ERP amplitudes while experiencing positive obstructive hallucinations, in contrast to low hypnotizables and their own waking imagination-only conditions. The data show that when participants are carefully selected for hypnotizability and responses are time locked to events, rather robust physiological markers of hypnosis emerge. These reflect alterations in consciousness that correspond to participants' subjective experiences of perceptual alteration. Accounting for suggestion type reveals remarkable consistency of findings among dozens of researchers.

Cerebral Cortex↗
PubMed1999

Diet, physical activity, and gallstones--a population-based, case-control study in southern Italy.

BACKGROUND: Gallstones are a highly prevalent condition; however, the nutritional and lifestyle risk factors of this disease are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the association between diet, physical activity, and incident cases of gallstones diagnosed by ultrasound in a population-based, case-control study. DESIGN: One hundred patients with newly diagnosed gallstones and 290 randomly selected control subjects without gallstones were enrolled in the study. The presence of gallstones was determined by ultrasonography. Both patients and control subjects completed a questionnaire about their usual diet and physical activity for the 12 mo before the ultrasonography. The association between diet and physical activity and risk of gallstone formation was analyzed by using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Body mass index and intake of refined sugars were directly associated with risk of gallstone formation, whereas physical activity, dietary monounsaturated fats, dietary cholesterol, and dietary fibers from cellulose were inversely associated with risk of gallstone formation. Saturated fats were a risk factor for gallstone formation and the association appeared to be stronger for men than for women. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that a sedentary lifestyle and a diet rich in animal fats and refined sugars and poor in vegetable fats and fibers are significant risk factors for gallstone formation.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

A prospective study of hypertension and the incidence of kidney stones in men.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether hypertension predicts the incidence of kidney stone disease. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study (the Olivetti Prospective Heart Study). SETTING: The Olivetti factory in Southern Italy. SUBJECTS: Five hundred and three male workers, aged 21 - 68 years, with no evidence of kidney stone disease at baseline. Follow-up 8 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anthropometry, blood pressure, biochemistry and history of kidney stone disease were evaluated at the baseline examination in 1987. Occurrence of kidney stone disease was evaluated again in 1994-1995. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure > or = 160 or diastolic blood pressure, > or = 95 mmHg or both, or being on drug therapy for hypertension. Occurrence of kidney stone disease was defined as radiological or echographic evidence of calculi or documented passage of one or more stones. RESULTS: At baseline, 114/503 men (22.7%) had hypertension and 32 were on drug treatment. After 8 years, 52 (10.3%) incident cases of kidney stone disease were detected. The majority (n = 45) had a documented passage of one or more stones. The incidence of kidney stone disease was higher in hypertensive than in normotensive men (19/114 (16.7%) versus 33/389 (8.5%); P = 0.011). Hypertensive men had a greater risk of developing kidney stones than normotensive ones (RR 1.96; 95% confidence interval 1.16-3.32). The risk was unaffected by the exclusion of treated hypertensives (2.01; 1.13-3.59) and after adjustment for age (1.89; 1.12-3.18), body weight (1.78; 1.05-3.00) or height (2.00; 1.19-3.38). CONCLUSIONS: Hypertension in middle-aged men is a significant predictor of kidney stone disease rather than a consequence of renal damage caused by the kidney stones.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Prospective analysis of traits related to 6-year change in sodium-lithium countertransport. Gubbio Population Study Research Group.

Sodium-lithium countertransport (Na-Li CT) activity in red blood cells relates cross-sectionally and longitudinally to blood pressure and hypertension. Lifestyle and metabolic factors relate cross-sectionally to this sodium transporter. The aim of this study was to conduct a prospective analysis of 6-year Na-Li CT change and of traits related to Na-Li CT change. In 2183 participants in the Gubbio Population Study (972 men and 1211 women; baseline ages, 18 to 74 years), the following data collected at baseline and 6-year follow-up were analyzed: Na-Li CT; gender; age; body mass index (BMI); blood pressure; antihypertensive treatment; alcohol intake; smoking habits; urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio; and plasma cholesterol, glucose, uric acid, sodium, potassium, and triglycerides (measured only at follow-up). Six-year changes were defined as follow-up minus baseline values. Na-Li CT was higher at follow-up than at baseline in both genders (P<0.001). Baseline Na-Li CT; baseline and change values of BMI; and change values of alcohol intake, plasma potassium, and plasma glucose related to Na-Li CT change significantly and independently with control for other variables. Follow-up plasma triglyceride levels also related independently to Na-Li CT change. Coefficients were positive for BMI, alcohol intake, and plasma glucose and triglyceride levels and were negative for baseline Na-Li CT and plasma potassium levels. Baseline and change values of other variables did not relate significantly to Na-Li CT change. In conclusion, in prospective analyses, BMI, alcohol intake, plasma glucose, and lipids were directly related to Na-Li CT change; baseline Na-Li CT and plasma potassium levels were inversely related. The data support the concept that lifestyle and related metabolic factors influence Na-Li CT.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Comparability of nutrient estimation by three food frequency questionnaires for use in epidemiological studies.

Replication of results is an important issue in studies of diet and disease, possibly dependent on data collection method. We compared assessments from the Health Habits and History Questionnaire (HHHQ), the Harvard Semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (HFFQ), and the New York State Cohort Food Frequency Questionnaire (CFFQ) for estimates of daily intakes of energy, protein, carbohydrates, total fat, dietary fiber, cholesterol, vitamins A, C, and E, and carotenoids. Fifty-nine men and 50 women aged 35-73 years completed the HHHQ and HFFQ as interviews and the 44-food CFFQ as a self-administered mailed questionnaire. Comparability was assessed with Spearman correlation coefficients. Quantitation of nutrient intake differed by nutrient, questionnaire, and nutrient calculation method. Ranking on energy and macronutrient intake for the HHHQ and HFFQ ranged from 0.62 to 0.80; ranking for micronutrient intake ranged from 0.56 to 0.80. For the CFFQ with the HHHQ or HFFQ, correlations ranged between 0.29 and 0.62. The CFFQ performs comparably to the HHHQ and HFFQ for some, but not all, nutrients; our results suggest that the HHHQ and HFFQ can be used interchangeably with reasonable confidence in studies of diet and disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Stilbene compounds: from the grapevine to wine.

Stilbenes are natural compounds occurring in a number of plant families, including Vitaceae and (within this family) Vitis vinifera L., which is the most important species grown worldwide for grape and wine production. Stilbenes (resveratrol and viniferins) are present in grapevine as constitutive compounds of the woody organs (roots, canes, stems) and as induced substances (in leaves and fruit) acting as phytoalexins in the mechanisms of grape resistance against certain pathogens. Resveratrol (3, 5, 4'-trihydroxystilbene) was also detected in wine and it was thought to be the active principle of red wines that were shown to reduce heart diseases. This paper reviews data, obtained by the Viticulture Institute of the Catholic University at Piacenza and taken from the literature, on some aspects of stilbene physiology in grapevine and on their relation to resveratrol wine levels. Constitutive stilbene contents of woody organs are reported, as well as the possible role of cluster stems as a source of resveratrol for wine. The accumulation of stilbenes in grape berries infected by grey mould (Botrytis cinerea Pers.) has been investigated and the effects of environmental factors on resveratrol grape and wine levels will be discussed. An unidentified new hydroxystilbene was detected in wine.

Anti-Infective Agents↗
PubMed1999

Heart rate as a risk factor in hypertensive individuals. The Italian TensioPulse Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The predictive role of heart rate as a new, independent risk factor for the development of high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has been investigated in recent years and many studies have demonstrated a significant and independent association between heart rate, blood pressure and cardiovascular (CV) endpoints. Various pathogenic pathways can be postulated to explain this association and the role of heart rate as a plausible risk factor. Previous studies have been limited to the examination of small samples of general populations. By contrast, our study is based on a large cohort (38,145) of hypertensive patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Italian TensioPulse Study is a detailed investigation of the relation between heart rate (HR) and other CV risk factors in a large cohort of hypertensives. A strong, positive relationship was found between heart rate and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure: r = 0.21 for SBP in both sexes, and r = 0.21 and r = 0.24 for DBP in men and women respectively. Smoking and drinking habits seem to be associated with higher heart rate, SBP and DBP values. CONCLUSIONS: These findings and the observation that more than one out of three hypertensives had a relatively high heart rate could assist in the organisation of prevention programmes. Correction of certain lifestyle factors must precede the decision to use drugs to reduce the global CVD risk.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Syndrome X and mortality: a population-based study. Risk Factor and Life Expectancy Research Group.

The present report analyzes the prevalence of the cluster of metabolic abnormalities defined as syndrome X (high blood glucose, high blood pressure, low high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and high triglycerides) and its impact on cardiovascular disease mortality in a large cohort of men and women (22,561 men and 18,495 women). These individuals were participants in a series of epidemiologic investigations of cardiovascular disease conducted in Italy between 1978 and 1987. They were followed for an average of 7 years, during which time a total of 1,218 deaths occurred (1,003 in men and 215 in women). Deaths were coded according to the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9). The prevalence of the full cluster of metabolic abnormalities (syndrome X) was low in the population as a whole, with only 3.0 percent of men and 3.4 percent of women exhibiting the full cluster of abnormalities that comprise syndrome X. The risk of death from all causes and cardiovascular disease increased with increased numbers of metabolic abnormalities in both men and women. Mortality from cancer was significantly increased in women (but not in men) with syndrome X, compared with women with no metabolic abnormalities. Population attributable risks for all cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality were 0.06 and 0.09 in men and 0.04 and 0.48 in women when assessed by population cutpoints. These data from a large population-based epidemiologic investigation indicate that the presence of a full cluster of metabolic abnormalities from syndrome X is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in both men and women, but that the low prevalence of such a cluster in the population reduces the public health impact of syndrome X. The majority of individuals who die from cardiovascular disease present elevations in any one, two, or three of the metabolic abnormalities. The notion of the cluster of metabolic abnormalities (syndrome X) should not distract our attention from established individual risk factors that have been proven to be major causes of cardiovascular disease death and disability in our society.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Formation of N-Nitrosoterbuthylazine and N-Nitrosoterbutryn in a Model System of Soil Water.

The s-triazines terbutryn and terbuthylazine are currently used in Italy for weed control. A possible reaction of these compounds in the environment is N-nitrosation. Experiments performed in 10 mM CaCl(2) as a model of soil water indicated that N-nitrosation is favored only at low pH values and that the N-nitroso derivatives are fairly stable. In the presence of soil either parent compounds or N-nitroso derivatives are strongly adsorbed. These results seem to indicate that the possibility of formation of N-nitrosoterbuthylazine and N-nitrosoterbutryn in common agricultural soil is very remote.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Secular trends in the United States black/white hypertension prevalence ratio: potential impact of diminishing response rates.

In this integrative review, the authors analyzed 25 studies on hypertension prevalence among black and white adults (1960-1991). The authors made the following inferences: 1) both female (2.59 vs. 1.77) and male (2.20 vs. 1.38) black/white hypertension prevalence ratios have diminished by approximately a third over the past three decades; 2) response rates were significantly lower among the more recent surveys (i.e., 1976 or later, mean 69.2 percent (standard deviation (SD) 6.9) vs. 1960 to 1975, mean 86.1 percent (SD 9.1)); and 3) these two trends are directly associated--response rates may account for a third (women, R2 = 0.362) to nearly a half (men, R2 = 0.469) of the variability in black-white hypertension differentials. These findings suggest that although respondent-based research has found black and white adults in the United States to be increasingly similar in hypertension prevalence, the same may not be true of the entire adult population (responders and nonresponders). The apparent diminishment over time in the black-white hypertension gap is as likely to be a methodological artifact allied with declining response rates as a true parametric phenomenon resultant from substantive factors such as enhanced treatment effectiveness among blacks.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Ikaros in hemopoietic lineage determination and homeostasis.

Studies on the molecular mechanisms that control hemopoietic differentiation have focused on signaling cascades and nuclear effectors that drive this complex developmental system in a regulated fashion. Here we review the role of Ikaros, the founding member of a unique family of zinc finger transcription factors in this developmental process. Studies on an Ikaros null mutation have revealed an essential role for this factor in lymphoid cell fate determination and at subsequent branch points of the T cell differentiation pathway. Differences in the phenotypes of a null and a dominant negative (DN) Ikaros mutation provide insight into a regulatory network through which Ikaros proteins exert their effects in development. In addition a comparative analysis of the hemopoietic stem cell and precursor compartment resulting from the two Ikaros mutations reveals a profound yet not absolute requirement for Ikaros in the production and differentiation of these populations.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

The value of PCNA and AgNOR staining in endoscopic biopsies of gastric mucosa.

The aim of the present study was to examine the usefulness of the quantification of PC10-positive-cells and of Argyrophilic Nucleolar Organizer Regions (AgNORs) in gastric biopsies for the identification of gastric mucosal proliferative lesions. Fifty seven paraffin-embedded endoscopic biopsies were classified into four histologic groups: normal, inflammatory, dysplastic and neoplastic mucosa. The percentage of PC10-positive cells was determined by immunohistochemistry. The AgNOR parameters determined included the total number of all identifiable silver precipitations in the nucleus, the mean number of silver precipitations per cluster, and the presence of morphologically heterogenous silver precipitations. Group comparisons were performed using the Kruskall Wallis and Dunn non-parametric tests with a significance level of 5%. A discriminant analysis (followed by the jack-knife procedure) was performed using the three AgNOR parameters plus the percentage of PCNA-positive cells as the independent variables and histological groups as the dependent variable. All three AgNOR parameters, as well as the percentage of PCNA-stained nuclei, showed their highest values in the carcinoma group. However, no good differentiation among the four histologic groups was obtained using only one of these parameters, since there was always considerable overlap among them. By combining all the parameters in a linear discriminant analysis, we obtained a correct classification in 48 out of 57 cases. Within the classification errors there was only one false positive carcinoma, which was in fact a dysplasia and only one false negative carcinoma erroneously classified as dysplasia. The number of cells with heterogenous AgNORs was the most important parameter for the discriminant analysis. No correlation between PCNA values and the AgNOR parameters could be found, thus indicating that they do not represent the same phenomenon in the cell cycle. We concluded that the use of a combination of various proliferation parameters in a linear discriminant analysis may be helpful for differentiating gastric mucosal lesions. The peculiar AgNOR morphology is an important variable which should be taken in consideration in quantitative studies. PCNA and AgNORs seem to represent different physiological phenomena in the cell cycle.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1998

Relations among alcohol consumption measures derived from the Cognitive Lifetime Drinking History.

Few studies have been conducted of chronic alcohol effects on health and social outcomes. To evaluate the utility and feasibility of such studies, correlations between lifetime and current measures of total alcohol consumption (ounces) and times intoxicated were examined to determine whether these dimensions of drinking are distinct. Studies were conducted in 2142 respondents ages 35 to 70 selected from lists of licensed drivers and individuals eligible for Medicare. Lifetime measures of alcohol consumption and times intoxicated were derived from the Cognitive Lifetime Drinking History (CLDH). Depending on age and sex of the subgroups examined, current consumption accounted for only about 10-25% of the variability in lifetime alcohol consumption; current and lifetime times intoxicated were even less highly correlated. Lifetime and current measures of alcohol consumption accounted for approximately 40-50% of the variability in corresponding lifetime and current measures of times intoxicated in younger cohorts, but this fell to 25% and less in older cohorts. These findings support the use of lifetime measures of alcohol consumption and times intoxicated based on the CLDH together with current measures to investigate chronic and acute alcohol effects on health and social outcomes.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Efficacy of antihypertensive therapy in decreasing renal and cardiovascular complications in diabetes mellitus.

The mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of microangiopathy and macroangiopathy in diabetes mellitus is hypothesized to be chronic hyperglycaemia. However, the values of blood glucose at which chronic diabetic complications develop at the renal and cardiac level are quite different. It is not clear whether this is due to different responses of kidney and heart tissues to the metabolic challenge of diabetes, or to the simultaneous role of other mechanisms contributing differently to the pathogenesis of chronic diabetic complications in renal and cardiac tissues. One of these mechanisms could be the simultaneous occurrence of arterial hypertension along with hyperglycaemia in diabetic patients. We reviewed the available evidence in the recent medical literature and provide information on the relationships between hyperglycaemia and cardiovascular and renal complications in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The majority of reports indicate that the values of blood glucose appearing to be at threshold level for the development of cardiovascular complications are significantly lower than those determining renal complications (5.4 vs 10.0 mmol/l blood glucose concentrations 2 h after an oral glucose tolerance test). This was the case both in cross-sectional and prospective studies and also in intervention studies aimed at decreasing blood glucose concentrations by using strict metabolic control methods (The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial Research Group), which succeeded in delaying the rate of occurrence of microangiopathic complications at the kidney and retinal level but not so effectively at the cardiac level. Therefore, alternative therapeutic or supplementary strategies to blood glucose control should be adopted in diabetes to prevent diabetic complications. To date, the most effective approach, from our point of view, is antihypertensive therapy in order to prevent end-stage renal disease. We extensively reviewed the available literature which reported comparisons between angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) in the treatment of arterial hypertension in diabetes. Intensified antihypertensive therapy achieving a blood pressure level below 130/85 mmHg has been shown to be useful in decreasing the rate of occurrence of chronic diabetic complications in diabetes mellitus. Both ACE inhibitors and CCBs have been shown to significantly improve the course of renal function in diabetic patients with incipient and overt nephropathy.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗
PubMed1998

Lack of natural killer cell precursors in fetal liver of Ikaros knockout mutant mice.

The role of Ikaros in early stages of natural killer (NK) cell differentiation was investigated using an in vitro system that promotes proliferation and differentiation of NK cell precursors into mature NK1.1+ cells. Day 14.5 fetal liver cells from mice, either homozygous for Ikaros Null or dominant negative (DN) mutations, had severe 55- to 79-fold reductions in functional NK cell precursors. Although there was no statistically significant difference between values for +/+ and +/- Null mice, the mean precursor frequency for DN mutant (+/-) mice was significantly above that for DN -/- mice and below that for DN +/+ mice. The NK activity values for cells generated from the NK cell precursors followed the same respective relationships found for NK cell precursor frequencies. These data suggest that the deficiency of mature NK cells in Ikaros mutant mice is related to lack of functional precursors.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Red blood cell sodium-lithium countertransport and risk of future hypertension: the Olivetti Prospective Heart Study.

An elevated red blood cell (RBC) sodium-lithium countertransport (Na-Li CT) is associated with high blood pressure (BP) in cross-sectional investigations; however, its value as a predictor of future hypertension, and thus of cardiovascular risk, has not been defined. The present study evaluated the association between Na-Li CT and risk of future hypertension in a sample of 106 untreated normotensive middle-aged men participating in the Olivetti Prospective Heart Study in southern Italy. BP, anthropometric and metabolic variables, and RBC Na-Li CT were measured at baseline in 1987 and at a follow-up visit in 1994 through 1995. Na-Li CT was stable over time (r=0.85) and was significantly associated to systolic BP in both visits. Of the 106 initially normotensive participants, 14 were found to be hypertensive at the 8-year follow-up examination. Eleven of these 14 hypertensives were in the highest tertile of systolic BP at baseline, and 9 of 11 also had an elevated baseline Na-Li CT. In multiple logistic regression analysis, baseline BP, Na-Li CT, and age were all significant predictors of the risk of future hypertension. Individuals with baseline systolic BP in the highest tertile had a 60% risk of developing hypertension if their Na-Li CT was also high, whereas their risk was only 5% if Na-Li CT was in the two lowest tertiles (P=0.003). RBC Na-Li CT was a valuable predictor of subsequent hypertension in middle-aged men with a high-normal BP level for their age.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1998

Dietary cardiovascular risk factors and serum cholesterol in an Old Order Mennonite community.

OBJECTIVES: Dietary and coronary heart disease risk factors in Old Order Mennonite men and women were examined. METHODS: A food frequency questionnaire was mailed to 250 Mennonites who had participated in a previous study of coronary heart disease risk factors. RESULTS: Mennonites consumed a diet high in total fat, saturated fats, and cholesterol. Men had lower average serum cholesterol levels (174 mg/dL) than women (191 mg/dL). CONCLUSIONS: The Mennonites' diet was similar to that of the overall US population in saturated fat percentage and higher in cholesterol. Serum cholesterol levels, adiposity, and blood pressure were lower than expected among Mennonite men, perhaps because of their higher levels of physical activity.

Adolescent↗