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Biomedical subjects

P Pasqualetti

Publications and source records attributed to P Pasqualetti.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

[The chronobiology of sudden cardiac death. The evidence for a circadian, circaseptimanal and circannual periodicity in its incidence].

The aim of the study was to verify if sudden cardiac death presents a circadian, circaseptan, and circannual periodicity in its incidence. For the study of distribution of sudden cardiac death by hour of the day, the day of the week, and month of the year, 269 cases (161 males and 108 females), that occurred during the years 1970 through 1987 were considered. Sudden cardiac death, that is, death within 1 hour of onset of symptoms, occurs with greater frequency in the morning hours, on the days from Saturday to Monday, and in the months from October to January. The rhythmometric analysis by "single cosinor" demonstrates significant (p less than 0.05) rhythms, with acrophases at 5:00 a.m., on Monday, and in November. No significant differences (p more than 0.05) were found between male and female groups. These data suggest that sudden cardiac death is an event with high "chronorisk" that is a phenomenon with a greater probability of occurring in a definite period of time. The periodicity in the incidence of sudden cardiac death may be due to relationships between exogenous factors and endogenous biological rhythms.

Chronobiology Phenomena↗
PubMed1989

Atrial natriuretic peptide-renin-aldosterone system in cirrhosis of the liver: circadian study.

Plasma levels of immunoreactive atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), plasma renin activity (PRA), and plasma aldosterone (PA) were measured for an entire day at 6:00 am, 8:00 am, 12:00 pm, 6:00 pm, 8:00 pm, and 12:00 am in 6 healthy subjects, in 10 patients with compensated cirrhosis of the liver, and in 10 cirrhotics with ascites. The subjects, after synchronized standard life conditions lasting for 6 days were held in a clinostatic position during the study. The data were analyzed by the "cosinor" method. The results show significant circadian rhythms for the three biological variables in healthy subjects. In the compensated cirrhotic group, a circadian rhythm was detected only for PA. No rhythm was demonstrated in the ascitic patients. These data suggest that in cirrhosis of the liver, great variations in secretion rhythmicity for PRA and ANP are present, while maintaining the intrinsic PA rhythmicity, which is lost in patients with ascites. This progressive derangement in PA circadian rhythm in the ANP-PRA-PA system can be considered as an index of evolution in the natural history of cirrhosis of the liver.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Circadian rhythm of atrial natriuretic peptide, plasma renin and aldosterone activity in healthy subjects and in patients with compensated liver cirrhosis].

The circadian variations in atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma aldosterone (PA) have been investigated in a group of 6 patients with compensated cirrhosis of the liver compared with a group of 6 healthy subjects. All studied subjects were kept for a week on standardized life conditions, with a defined daily intake of 120 mEq of sodium and 60 mEq of potassium. Venous blood samples were collected during a whole day at 6, 8, 12, 18, 20 and 24 hours, with the subjects resting in the clinostatic position during the study. Plasma levels of ANP, PRA and PA were determined by radioimmunoassay. The data were analyzed by the cosinor method. The results show that healthy subjects present a significant circadian rhythm for the three biological variables, while patients with cirrhosis of the liver present a significant rhythm for PA only. Acrophase and amplitude of PA do not present any difference between control and patient groups. The levels of PRA and ANP are significantly higher in the cirrhotic patients. These data suggest in cirrhosis a deep variation in the secreting rhythm of PRA and ANP with maintenance, even at higher levels, of intrinsic PA rhythm. This is a possible index of time-related alterations of water-electrolyte balance and cardiovascular processes in liver cirrhosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Prognostic factors in multiple myeloma. Selection using multivariate analysis].

In order to assess the prognostic value of 15 different prognostic variables for multiple myeloma and to select the variables with the best prognostic significance, the multivariate analysis according to Cox's proportional hazard regression model was employed for a group of 80 patients followed from first diagnosis to their demise. The significant prognostic variables were bone marrow plasma cell percentage, degree of lytic bone lesions, Bence-Jones proteinuria, and haemoglobinaemia. A scoring clinical staging system was also developed, assigning the score of 1 to each of the following features: bone marrow plasma cells more than 30%, lytic bone lesions of 2-3 degrees, presence of Bence-Jones proteinuria, and haemoglobinaemia less than 110 g/l. Therefore, the score for each patient ranges from 0 to 4, and the entire group of patients with multiple myeloma is subdivided into five clinical stages: stage I = score 0, stage II = score 1, stage III = score 2; stage IV = score 3, stage V = score 4. Significant differences exist between both mean survivals (p less than 0.01), and between the survival curves (p less than 0.0001) within the five scoring clinical stages.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Basal and postprandial blood gastrin in peptic ulcer. The physiopathological considerations in relation to different locations of the lesion].

A different pathophysiological mechanism is widely accepted for gastric and duodenal ulcer. In particular, the exact role of gastrin in the determinism of nonhormone-dependent peptic ulcer disease has been completely clarified. The aim of the present study was to analyse fasting and postprandial serum gastrin levels in 99 duodenal ulcer patients, 17 gastric ulcer patients and 11 subjects presenting an association of gastric and duodenal ulcer. The possible correlation between postprandial gastrin concentrations and basal and maximal acid output in the 3 groups of patients has also been investigated. Fasting serum gastrin levels do not appear different among the 3 classes of patients, while postprandial gastrin concentrations are statistically higher at 15 minutes in duodenal ulcer patients and in subjects with the association of gastric and duodenal ulcer as compared to gastric ulcer patients. Mean fasting and stimulated gastrin levels are higher in gastric ulcer females than in males during the entire test and with a statistically significant difference at 30 minutes. The concentrations of the hormone are not different in males of the 3 groups of patients at basal time, while they are statistically lower at 15 and 30 minutes in gastric ulcer males compared to those with duodenal ulcer and the association of the localization. Finally, positive correlation has been observed between B.A.O. and M.A.O. and postprandial gastrin concentration in the 3 groups of patients, while there is an inverse correlation between the previous parameters as regards sex, both in gastric and duodenal ulcer.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Circadian rhythmicity of plasma amino acid variations in healthy subjects.

The circadian periodicity of plasma amino acids (AA) was explored using Cosinor analysis. Six healthy subjects eating a standard diet (30 Kcal and 1 g of protein/Kg of body weight) were studied. Plasma samples for AA determination were taken at 07:00, 11:00, 15:00, 17:00, 21:00 and 24:00. The majority of AA showed an increment in the evening samples. This 24-h variability led to a circadian rhythmicity for all AA, except for taurine, threonine, glutamate, alanine, cystine, and total tryptophan. On average, the fluctuation was approximately 15% of the mesor and the acrophase timing was between 17:00 and 22:00.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Endocrine changes of the liver in the cirrhotic alcoholic: analysis of circadian rhythms of anteriopituitary, adrenocortical, and gonadal hormones].

Circadian rhythms of anteropituitary (ACTH, HGH, TSH, FSH, LH, PRL), adrenocortical (cortisol, aldosterone, DHEA-S), and gonadal (testosterone, 17 beta-estradiol, progesterone) hormones were investigated in a group of male patients with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, compared with group of male clinically healthy subjects. Each group consisted of six subjects. After a period of ten days of synchronized life conditions, venous blood samples were drawn every four hours during a whole day, the subjects resting in constant supine position. The plasma hormonal levels were determined by radioimmunoassay method. The results, analyzed by "cosinor" method, show a significant (p less than 0.05) circadian rhythm only for cortisol, aldosterone, and DHEA-S in the cirrhotic patients, while the control group exhibits a statistically significant (p less than 0.05) circadian rhythm for all hormones, except for 17 beta-estradiol. These data support the evidence of serious abnormalities in the biological time structure of anteropituitary and gonadal hormones in alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, while the adrenalcortex seems to maintain its own intrinsic circadian rhythmicity. On the basis of these results, the authors discuss the main mechanisms of the chronobiological hormonal abnormalities in alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. Further investigations in this area may provide new insights into hormonal mechanism responsible for the endocrine abnormalities in the alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1989

[Circadian rhythm in the incidence of sudden cardiac death].

Human mortality demonstrates a maximum incidence in the early morning, with a reduction in the late afternoon. In order to determine whether sudden cardiac death presents a circadian rhythm similar to that of overall human mortality, the time of the day has been analyzed in 269 cases of sudden cardiac death. The definitive criteria of sudden cardiac death were: death within 1 hour of the onset of symptoms and pathoanatomical findings. The cases of sudden cardiac death consisted of 161 males and 108 females, with ages ranging from 23 to 86 years, subdivided into 139 cases of acute myocardial infarction, 101 cases of coronary atherosclerosis, 12 cases of primary myocardiopathies, 4 cases of mitral valve prolapse and 13 cases with structurally healthy heart. All the deaths occurred outside the hospital, or immediately after resuscitation efforts had begun. The data were analyzed by means of chronograms, and with the "single cosinor" method, both for the total cases of sudden cardiac death, and for subdivisions into sex, pathoanatomical picture, and for age groups (less than 40, between 41 and 60, and more than 61 years). The results demonstrate a statistically significant (p less than 0.05) circadian rhythm of sudden cardiac death, with a peak from midnight to 8:00 am, and a minimum in the afternoon. Significant differences do not exist (p greater than 0.05) within the acrophases of sudden cardiac death between the 2 sexes, among the different age groups, or the pathoanatomical pictures of myocardial infarction and coronary atherosclerosis. No rhythm was detected regarding the sudden deaths by primary myocardiopathy, mitral valve prolapse, and "normal" heart.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Famotidine in the short and long term treatment of duodenal ulcer: clinical and physiopathologic study].

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of short and long-term treatment with famotidine 40 mg/daily at bed time in duodenal ulcer disease. 45 patients with endoscopically proven active duodenal ulcer undertaken the study. Endoscopic evaluations were performed at 6 weeks, 3 and 6 months from the start of the study. The following parameters were evaluated: pepsinogen group I and gastrin levels in serum, pH, acid and neutral glycoprotein, N-acetylneuraminic acid, pepsin in gastric juice collected during the upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. 6 weeks healing rate was 91.1%. After the third month of follow-up 14.2% of the patients presented an endoscopical proven episode of relapse. No relapses were observed at the end of the study (after 6 months of treatment). Acid glycoprotein, N- acetylneuraminic acid and pepsin concentrations significantly decreased after 6 weeks of treatment (p less than 0.0125, p less than 0.025, p less than 0.005 respectively), while serum levels of pepsinogen group I, gastrin and gastric pH increased (p less than 0.0005, p less than 0.005, p less than 0.025). After 6 months period of therapy, a significant increase of neutral glycoproteins (p less than 0.01) and a decrease of pepsin (p less than 0.005) and acid glycoproteins (p less than 0.01) was observed. On the contrary, gastric N- acetylneuraminic acid, pH, serum gastrin and pepsinogen group I presented the pre-trial values. IN CONCLUSION: 1) famotidine appears to be an effective and safe therapy for duodenal ulcer treatment; 2) it seems to act not only by inhibiting gastric acid secretion but also influencing some parameters related to the gastric mucosal barrier.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

[Fatal pulmonary thromboembolism: is its incidence increasing or diminishing? Analysis of 178 cases from 1971 to 1988].

A retrospective study was undertaken on 178 cases (6.9% out of 2569 autopsies) of fatal pulmonary thromboembolism, 86 males and 92 females, aged 28-87 years (mean age = 71 +/- 13), in whom pulmonary emboli were found at autopsies, performed from 1971 to 1988. Fatal pulmonary thromboemboli means that no other cause of death was found at autopsy, and emboli occluded at least 2 lobar arteries. In 43 cases (24.2%) the fatal pulmonary thromboembolism developed after surgery. Considering the percentage of the cases of fatal pulmonary thromboembolism on the number of autopsies performed every year, the incidence of this disease increased throughout the period under study. There is a significant difference in incidence of fatal pulmonary thromboembolism in the autopsies in years 1971-79 in comparison with the years 1980-88. In fact the fatal pulmonary thromboembolism cases are 5.1% from 1340 autopsies in the period 1971-79, and 8.9% from 1229 autopsies in the period 1980-88. This increase in incidence is due mainly to the fatal pulmonary thromboembolism in the medical patients (from 3.2% to 7.5%) while the postoperative cases show a slight decrease, from 1.9% to 1.4%. The mean age of patients with fatal pulmonary thromboembolism increases in the second period considered. Age and medical treatment are the most important risk factors. In spite of the increasing age of the population and the increased use of major surgery, there is a tendency to constant or decreased incidence of fatal pulmonary thromboembolism, at least in surgical patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Contemporaneous presentation of plasma cell leukemia and multiple myeloma. Description of a clinical case with a biclonal component].

A case of simultaneous evidence of plasma cell leukaemia and multiple myeloma is reported. Plasma cell leukaemia doesn't represent an evolution of multiple myeloma, but a primitive disease, because the two forms of plasma cell dyscrasia arose from two different neoplastic plasma cell populations. In fact, leukaemic plasma cell produced IgA and were PAS-positive, while myelomatous plasma cells produced IgG and were PAS-negative. From this case, some hypothesis on simultaneous development of the two types of plasma cell neoplasias are discussed.

Aged↗