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Biomedical subjects

S Bernasconi

Publications and source records attributed to S Bernasconi.

314 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Micropenis. Results of treatment with testosterone].

Two groups of children presenting with micropenis (penis length less than or equal to 2.5 cm) were treated according to 2 different therapeutic schedules. The first consisted of the transcutaneous administration of testosterone propionate (4 mg twice a day) and the second of the intramuscular injection of sustained action testosterone enanthate (25 mg every 2 weeks). Only the intramuscular treatment was able to induce a normal and durable penis growth, owing to the hyperplastic action that the testosterone injection exerted on the level of the cellular tissues of the penis. Using testosterone enanthate dosages varying from 25 to 50 mg, the risks for an abnormal acceleration of growth and bone age seem to be minimized.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of chloro-N-desmethyldiazepam on serum and brain tryptophan and serotonin in relation to the activity of central serotonergic neurons.

Chloro-N-desmethyldiazepam (CDD) significantly reduced plasma tryptophan (TRY) and increased brain TRY in mice and rats. Quipazine did not change TRY levels in mouse plasma and brain but it respectively reduced and increased these two parameters in rats, to almost the same extent as CDD. Metergoline, an antagonist of serotonergic receptors, decreased blood TRY in both mice and rats but failed to change brain TRY. CDD significantly but slightly increased brain serotonin in rats. This effect was blocked by metergoline.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Detection of coeliac disease in the late childhood. Discussion on clinical presentation and diagnostic criteria. (Preliminary results) (author's transl)].

In this study 9 children ranging from 8 to 15 years of age affected by "short stature" not due to endocrine diseases underwent intestinal biopsy. In 5 of then a subtotal villous athrophy (STVA) has been shown and coeliac disease then diagnosed. The AA. underline the fact that in children with short stature, anamnestic and laboratoristic criteria are unreliable in suspecting the disease and stress the importance of jejunal biopsy as part of the diagnostic work-up in all cases of short stature which find any other clearcut explanations. The possibility monosymptomatic coeliac disease in the late childhood is in fact by now supported by documentary evidence.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Liver damage and obesity in pediatric age].

In adult obese patients both an increase of aminotranspherase values and hepatic steatosis have been frequently showed. Conversely in childhood the existence of a liver's damage is often not investigated. To assess the prevalence of hepatic alterations in obese children, we studied 135 subjects, all affected by simple obesity, showing in a 20% of them the presence of ultrasonographic evidence of hepatic steatosis and/or hyperaminotransferasemia. Our study demonstrates the existence of silent hepatic alterations also in obese children and suggests to improve the treatment of obesity in childhood to prevent the progression of liver's damage.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Non-specific pituitary responses in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents].

OBJECTIVES: Several reports indicate a number of changes in the control of the release of PRL, LH, FSH, GH and beta-endorphin (B-EP) as a result of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). In this study we evaluate the presence of non-specific pituitary responses to releasing hormones in IDDM children and adolescents. METHODS: The non-specific effects of TRH on plasma GH, LH and B-EP levels and of GnRH on plasma GH, PRL, TSH and B-EP levels were measured in 16 IDDM children and in 16 healthy children matched by age and sex. All subjects were tested with injection of TRH (200 micrograms i.v. bolus) and GnRH (50 micrograms i.v. bolus). GH, TSH, PRL, LH and B-EP levels were evaluated with radioimmunological methods on blood samples collected before and after stimulation by releasing hormones. RESULTS: GH and B-EP non-specific responses to TRH and GnRH were significantly more pronounced in IDDM patients than in controls. All patients showed at least one non-specific response to one of the two releasing hormones. No significant correlations were found between non-specific pituitary responses and the patient's age, the duration and onset of disease or the degree of metabolic control. CONCLUSIONS: These observations may indicate that: in IDDM hypothalamus-pituitary regulating mechanism is altered; the hormones whose levels are most often found to be abnormal in IDDM (other than insulin) are also hormones which respond non specifically to the neuropeptides TRH and GnRH.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

IL-13 supports differentiation of dendritic cells from circulating precursors in concert with GM-CSF.

Dendritic cells (DC) can be obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by in vitro culture with IL-4 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). IL-13 shares properties with IL-4 but its receptor does not involve the common gamma chain present in the receptor complex of IL-4 and other cytokines. The present study was aimed to elucidate whether IL-13 can substitute for IL-4 in DC cultures and to compare the phenotypic and functional characteristics of cells obtained using these two cytokines. Monocyte-enriched PBMC were cultured with GM-CSF and IL-4 or GM-CSF and IL-13. Cell yields and DClike morphology were similar. The cells showed a membrane phenotype typical of DC (MHC II+; CD1a+; CD14-; CD3-; CD20-). IL-13-derived and IL-4-derived DC were similar in terms of macropinocytosis, stimulatory capacity of cord blood lymphocytes in mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR), and responsiveness to chemotactic signals. It is concluded that IL-13 is as effective as IL-4, combined with GM-CSF in sustaining DC differentiation from PBMC and that activation of the common gamma chain-driven transduction pathways is dispensable for DC differentiation and function.

Antigens, Differentiation↗