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Biomedical subjects

P Sala

Publications and source records attributed to P Sala.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Persistent expansions of CD4+ CD8+ peripheral blood T cells.

CD4+ CD8+ cells are present during T cell differentiation in the thymus. Less than 2% of normal T cells that coexpress CD4 and CD8 also are released in the circulation and are present in the peripheral blood. In this study, nine individuals are described that manifested persistent expansions (11% to 43%) of circulating CD4+ CD8+ T cells that in three cases had large granular lymphocyte (LGL) morphology in the absence of either lymphocytosis or overt lymphoproliferative disorders. Southern blot hybridization of enriched CD4+ CD8+ cells with T-cell receptor beta (TCR beta) and TCR gamma probes showed that most cases had the 12-kb Eco RI germinal band deleted or of decreased intensity. In several individuals new TCR beta-specific bands of different intensity and distinct from case to case suggested either monoclonal or oligoclonal and polyclonal expansions. Immunophenotypic analysis showed that in 7 out of 9 cases the CD4+ CD8+ T cells presented with CD8 dim expression. Furthermore, all the CD4+ CD8+ cells did not express many of the known activation antigens (low or absent CD25, CD38, CD71, HLA-DR), whereas they expressed high levels of CD2, CD29, CD56, and CD57. In addition, the CD4+ CD8+ cells of 5 out of 9 subjects coexpressed CD45RA and CD45RO suggesting that these cells might be "frozen" in an intermediate state between naive and memory T cells. In conclusion, the present CD4+ CD8+ cases fall within a larger spectrum of disorders ranging from apparently normal to reactive or proliferative situations and encompassing cells with LGL morphology or LGL-associated antigens expression either in the presence or in the absence of absolute lymphocytosis that deserve careful follow-up investigations.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Congenital hypertrophy of retinal pigment epithelium (CHRPE) as a marker for familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP).

Seventy-eight patients from 26 families were examined to evaluate the potentiality of congenital hypertrophy of retinal pigment epithelium (CHRPE) as a phenotypic marker for familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). The examined subjects were divided into three different groups: Group I, patients with FAP without extra colonic manifestations (ECM); Group II, patients with FAP and ECM (desmoids/osteomas/upper gastrointestinal adenomas); and Group III, individuals at risk without FAP. Of 24 Group I patients (median age 18 years) 16 had CHRPE compared with 14 out of 24 patients (median age 29 years) in Group II and only three out of 30 patients in Group III. The overall sensitivity of CHRPE for FAP was 70% (+/- 13%) without any difference related to ECM; the predictive value was 92%. The specificity calculated from Group III (median age 26 years) was 90%, but the results should not be considered as definitive because a longer follow-up to determine the appearance of adenomas is required. The data suggest that examination for CHRPE is an inexpensive, non-invasive test for FAP, but the absence of retinal lesions does not eliminate the necessity for adequate follow-up of individuals at risk.

Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗
PubMed1993

Correlation between relatives for colorectal cancer mortality in familial adenomatous polyposis.

It has long been realized that age-specific cancer mortality in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) was bimodal, and a theory was proposed in which the involved locus was polymorphic in the general population. After the molecular cloning of the region 5q21, it has been suggested that the phenotypic variability in FAP may be due to the interaction of two loci, one of which is polymorphic. We show that these two hypotheses lead to different predictions of the correlation between relatives for a phenotypic trait, and use colorectal cancer mortality data from the Italian Polyposes Registry to verify them. We conclude that the first of the two is more likely and suggest that the same variation that we observe among the affected subjects is present in the general population, thus causing a significant difference between individuals for colon cancer susceptibility.

Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗
PubMed1993

APC gene mutations in Italian familial polyposis coli patients.

Adenomatous polyposis coli is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by the development of hundreds of colorectal adenomas in young adults. If prophylactic colectomy is not performed, colorectal cancer develops in virtually all affected individuals by the fifth decade of life. All at-risk relatives older than 10 years of age need to be screened regularly by endoscopy. Recently, the gene responsible for the disease, the APC gene, was cloned. The finding of inactivating mutations of the APC gene in Italian APC patients allowed us to offer DNA-based diagnostic tests to these families.

Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗
PubMed1992

Antibody to hepatitis C virus in acute, self-limited, type B hepatitis.

Sera from 104 patients with self-limited, acute type B hepatitis were tested for the presence of anti-HCV antibodies. The results show that especially drug users with acute type B (and occasionally coinfected with type D) hepatitis commonly are infected with HCV. Furthermore, HCV infection may have preceded infection with the other agents and may be responsible for high ALT levels.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1992

Prevalence of antibody to hepatitis C virus in chronic HBsAg carriers.

The presence of the anti-HCV antibody was investigated in sera from 102 chronic HBsAg carriers. The subjects varied as to the characteristics of the clinical states. It was found that HCV coinfection was more common in HBsAg positive intravenous drug addicts than in other parenteral risk groups. It also appears that HCV may be the causative agent of chronic liver disease in HBsAg carriers with undetectable HBV (and possibly HDV) replication.

Carrier State↗
PubMed1992

Monoline argon laser (514 nm) treatment of benign pigmented lesions with long pulse lengths.

A dichroic filter was adjusted in order to make use of the green line of an argon laser for the treatment of pigmented lesions (actinic and senile lentigo, ephelis, café-au-lait marks and spilus nevus). Using a power of 1.5 W, a spot size of 0.5 mm and pulse lengths of 200 or 300 ms, satisfactory elimination of 620 pigmented cutaneous lesions was achieved. Although the pulse lengths used were much longer than the thermal relaxation time of the melanosomes, the histology after treatment showed little damage of adjacent structures. Good restoration of the epidermis and a return of normal pigmentation led to excellent cosmetic results, with few complications.

Cicatrix↗
PubMed1989

Sonographic appearance of primary retroperitoneal cysts.

The sonographic findings observed in four patients with primary retroperitoneal cysts were reviewed. All lesions presented as fluid-filled masses with anechoic content and regular margins; all increased through transmission. Preoperative location of the cysts within the retroperitoneal space was possible in all cases by either real-time ultrasound (US) analysis of the different relationships of the kidneys and the cysts during respiratory movements or the anterior displacement of surrounding structures. A differential diagnosis among retroperitoneal lesions containing fluid is difficult and cannot be obtained with imaging methods alone. However, preoperative knowledge of both the retroperitoneal location of the disease process and its fluid content may help to narrow the diagnostic possibilities, thus allowing the surgeon to more accurately plan the therapeutic approach to the patient.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Laboratory screening of monoclonal gammopathies: incidence of serum monoclonal immunoglobulins during a five years survey in a general hospital.

During a five years survey of unselected serum protein electrophoreses in a general hospital, 2347 sera (0.95%) were found to be positive for one or more monoclonal immunoglobulins. Class and type distribution of monoclonal immunoglobulins (characterized by means of immunofixation electrophoresis) mostly corresponded with the literature data. Nevertheless, higher incidence and lower mean age at detection were observed for IgG monoclonal components. This finding is probably related to the discovery of a large number of micro-monoclonal immunoglobulins with no association with B-lymphoproliferative disorders, mostly belonging to the IgG class and affecting younger people. The need is stressed for a widespread standardization of the techniques employed for detection and characterization of monoclonal immunoglobulins, in order to obtain more comparable results.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Sensitivity of Hemoccult test for large bowel cancer in high-risk subjects.

From 1979 to 1982, 1233 symptom-free subjects at high risk for colon cancer because of family history and/or personal history of bowel neoplasia (cancer or adenomatous polyp) were examined with a guaiac test (Hemoccult II) for occult blood in stools. The test was positive (H+) in 98 subjects (7.9%). Endoscopy was subsequently performed on 86% of the H+ and on 64% of the H- subjects. Of 20 in invasive cancers found, 15 had been H+ [75.0%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 54.3-91.0%]. Of 96 patients with adenoma(s), 23 were H+ (24%; 95% CI, 16.0-33.0%). However, the sensitivity for adenomas was higher in patients with multiple adenomas or with a single adenoma measuring 2 cm or more in its largest diameter (37.5%; 95% CI, 21.8-54.7%). Of 699 subjects free of neoplastic lesions at endoscopy, 47 had been H+, ie, false positive (6.7%; 95% CI, 5.0-8.7%). Adjusting for differential compliance of H+ and H- subjects to endoscopy, a corrected estimate for sensitivity would be 69% for cancer and 19% for adenomas; the corrected estimate for the false-positive rate would be 5%.

Adenoma↗