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Biomedical subjects

R Gasparini

Publications and source records attributed to R Gasparini.

44 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1976

Sero-epidemiological survey on human and swine influenza A. Situation at the onset of summer 1976.

A serological survey was performed to detect the presence of HI antibodies against the swine-like A/New Jersey/76 (Hsw1 N1) and the human A/Victoria 3/75 (H3N2) virus strains in the sera of 700 subjects of different age, and of 244 swine. HI antibodies against A/New Jersey/76 strain were not detected in 308 subjects younger than 31 years. They turned out to be present in 8% of the subjects from 31 to 43 years, always at low titre, and at a different titre, in 50% of the subjects from 44 to 58 years and in 90% of the subjects older than 58 years. None of the 244 swine tested from breeding farms of Liguria, Piedmont and Lombardy turned out to be endowed with antibodies against A/New Jersey/76 virus. This shows that the swine-like virus, which caused infections in the human population up to about 1930, did not circulate any more subsequently and that the swine also are now free from this infection. As far as the A/Victoria 3/75 strain is concerned, HI antibodies were detected in the different age groups with a frequency ranging between 41 and 69%. The fact that in many subjects antibodies were present at low titre suggests that their presence should be only partially brought back to infections caused by A/Victoria 3/75 but that in many cases it is the expression of a heterologous response to previous infections caused by other A H3N2 strains. HI antibodies against A/Victoria 3/75 were found also in 13% of the swine examined. A group of older people, who had been regularly immunized for years with the inactivated (A H3N2-B vaccine) showed an HI antibody titre significantly higher in comparison with subjects of equivalent age not vaccinated both against A/Victoria 3/75 and A/New Jersey/76.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Safety and immunogenicity of conventional subunit and MF59-adjuvanted influenza vaccines in human immunodeficiency virus-1-seropositive patients.

In this study of influenza vaccination, 37 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-seropositive patients were randomized to receive either a vaccine with a conventional subunit or one adjuvanted with MF59. Blood samples were collected at the time of vaccination, and then 30 and 180 days later, to evaluate immunogenicity, CD4+ T-lymphocyte count and HIV-1 RNA levels. Seroconversion rates against the three viral strains included in the vaccine ranged between 44% and 72% and 53% and 68% for the adjuvanted vaccine and the subunit vaccine, respectively. Other criteria of the European Medicines Evaluation Agency were also met. Vaccination was not associated with serious adverse events. Local and systemic effects were mild and of short duration. CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts and viraemia levels were not negatively affected by vaccination. These results confirmed the safety and immunogenicity of these currently available vaccines in HIV-1-seropositive patients, thus supporting the recommendation for influenza immunization in this high-risk category.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effectiveness of a 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine in preventing pneumonia and non-invasive pneumococcal infection in elderly people: a large-scale retrospective cohort study.

This retrospective cohort study evaluated the effectiveness of a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in reducing hospital admission for pneumonia, otitis media and exacerbation of asthma or other syndromes due to Streptococcus pneumoniae in 9170 high-risk individuals. Cohort members were followed from 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2002. With regard to preventing hospitalization due to pneumonia, we observed a decrease in the incidence of 1/10000 person-months and a reduction in the relative risk of 38% in the vaccinated cohort compared with the non-vaccinated subjects. A decrease in the risk of hospital admission for asthma, acute otitis media, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory infections was also observed in vaccinated compared with non-vaccinated subjects. The specificity of these findings was confirmed by the lack of a protective effect from vaccination for those outcomes, such as hospitalization 'for all causes' and 'other otorhinolaryngological diagnoses', that were not directly related to pneumococcal disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Morpho-structural variations of bacterial spores after treatment in steam vacuum assisted autoclave.

This study intended to verify, through microbiological techniques and TEM investigations, the killing of bacterial spores after treatment in steam autoclave, and to propose strictly morphological considerations about the target of this sterilisation process. Autoclave is the most common device for sterilising instruments in order to prevent cross infections in dental offices. The autoclave efficiency has been improved in the last years and part of this improvement is related to both a better and more correct use of the autoclave system and to the technological innovations introduced in the last generation of devices. However, associations as ADA or CDC suggest to regularly verify the process of 'autoclaving' through biological indicators (BI). The most commonly used BI are made of spores strips or suspensions of Bacillus Subtilis (pb 168) and Bacillus Stearothermophilus (ATCC 10149). They visually prove, changing colours on enzymatic base, the death of micro-organism and if the physical parameters, necessary for sterilisation, have been achieved. These two strains of endospore-forming bacteria were processed and prepared following two different techniques: Karnovsky fixed and epon embedded--phosphotungstic acid fixed for direct observation. The kind and the extent of analysed modifications are extremely various: from deep lacerations, which changed the spore structure, to little clefts which let the cytoplasm go out.

Bacillus subtilis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Diphtheria--tetanus--pertussis].

Authors examine prophylaxis in fighting diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis over last fifty years and the results recently obtained in this field. They foresee improving sanitary conditions in the future of our country.

Adolescent↗