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Biomedical subjects

S Bruno

Publications and source records attributed to S Bruno.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Viral load in samples from hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients with various clinical conditions.

Molecular methods for the absolute quantitation of nucleic acids present in biological samples have recently been developed and applied in basic and in medical virology; these studies indicated that competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and competitive reverse transcription PCR (cRT-PCR)-based methodologies are currently the methods of choice for quantifying DNA and RNA species present in clinical samples at low concentration. Recently, quantitative molecular techniques were developed to study the hepatitis C virus (HCV) pathogenic potential, the natural history of HCV-infected patients and the efficiency of antiviral therapies in real time. The pilot study reported here was carried out using a cRT-PCR application for the direct quantitation of HCV RNA molecules in plasma samples of infected individuals which was recently developed in our laboratory. Although sharp individual variability of viral load was documented in this study, the mean HCV RNA copy number detected in samples from untreated HCV-infected patients with various clinical conditions (chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis, cryoglobulinaemia and chronic hepatitis) was substantially similar, with only one exception: in samples from patients tested positive for anti-liver-kidney microsomal (anti LKM1) auto-antibodies, a significantly lower HCV viraemia level was revealed. Additionally, HCV viraemia was monitored in four patients with sustained biochemical and histological response (at least 12 months) following interferon-alpha discontinuation.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
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Atopic dermatitis with mononuclear phagocytic activity deficiency.

Five patients with atopic dermatitis, three males and two females, aged 2 to 17 years, had positive reactions to air allergens (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and/or farinae). All the patients suffered from severe recurrent dermatophytosis that responded poorly to antifungal treatment. The results of immunologic evaluation by laboratory tests were normal, except for a decrease in the ingestion phase by mononuclear phagocytes. After diagnosis of immunodeficiency, ketoconazole shampoo was used prophylactically and at the very first signs of recurrence of dermatophytosis, systemic antifungal treatment was started, without concurrent use of macrolides and with monitoring of hepatic function. The fungal infections responded well to this treatment and the patients' quality of life markedly improved.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immune function in acute stress.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to evaluate immune function in acute stress in medical students before academic examinations. Twenty-five medical students were selected because they presented intense acute stress, evaluated by the presence of the following classic signs: cold hands, intense sudoresis in the extremities, generalized sudoresis, paleness, tachycardia, confused reasoning, nervous irritability, diarrhea, and sleep disorders in the hours preceding the examination (agitated sleep, insomnia). METHODS: Immediately before the examination, peripheral blood was collected from the 25 students presenting acute stress to analyze T and B cells, CD4+ and CD8+ cells, immunoglobulins, and C3 and C4 complement components, as well as phagocytic activity in neutrophils and monocytes. These investigations were repeated in the same students in situations free of acute stress. The results of the two samples collected from each student were compared. RESULTS: The means and standard deviations showed no significant differences for any of the parameters analyzed (p> or =0.01). CONCLUSION: We conclude that acute stress did not cause changes in the lymphocyte subpopulations, phagocytic activity of neutrophils and monocytes, serum immunoglobulins, or C3 and C4 complement components in students participating in the present study. In conditions of basal chronic stress, acute stress may cause alterations in immune function.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Vascular impairment in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

Experimental and clinical observation suggest that patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) have endothelial dysfunction. Postischemic digital blood flow, nailfold capillaroscopy, von Willebrand factor (vWf) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) plasma levels were examined in 59 PBC patients. Forty-six subjects (15 with liver diseases other than PBC, 11 hypercholesterolemics, 20 healthy subjects) served as controls. PBC versus healthy controls (209.8 +/- 1.4% and 16.54 +/- 1.44 ng/ml vs. 120.2 +/- 1.4% and 9.91 +/- 1.49 ng/ml; p<0.001) and related to bilirubin (r = 0.38, p<0.02; r = 0.47, p<0.0005, respectively). vWf was also increased in other liver diseases (249.9 +/- 1.7%; p<0.001) and related to bilirubin (r = 0.59, p<0.05). Postischemic finger blood flow negatively correlated with vWf(p<0.05 or less). Our data indicate that PBC patients have microvascular disease. Whether vessels other than those of the fingers were involved remained unclear. vWf and t-PA might reflect a dysfunction of teh hepatic vascular endothelium.

Aged↗
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Exacerbation of chronic hepatitis D during interferon alpha administration.

Acute and severe impairment of liver function with jaundice and ascites occurred in two out of seven patients with chronic hepatitis D during interferon alpha administration (10 MU three times a week). Both of them were young women with histological diagnoses of moderate to severe chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis with no signs of portal hypertension. Only a slow and partial recovery was observed after interferon withdrawal. Autoantibodies against basal cell layer tested positive in these two patients. In the remaining five patients with hepatitis D who did not experience liver impairment during interferon administration, basal cell layer antibodies were found only in one case. We conclude that severe decompensation of liver cirrhosis related to hepatitis D may occur during interferon administration. Positivity of basal cell layer antibodies may be associated with the risk of developing such an adverse event but our data are not sufficient to prove this association.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Repeated furunculosis in adult male with abnormal neutrophil activity.

A 21 years old male suffered from repeated furunculosis in different regions of the body over the last two years. This coincided with the start of professional activities in hospital surroundings. The purulent secretions all showed growth of Staphylococcus aureus. All laboratory tests were normal except for a decrease of the neutrophil phagocytic ingestion phase. Before the diagnosis of defective phagocytosis was made, antibiotic treatment was started about 4 to 5 days after the appearance of the infectious process and the furunculosis led to abscess formation with difficult healing and cellulitis. After the diagnosis of defective phagocytosis ingestion phase, personal hygiene was intensified during and after work shifts at the hospital and antibiotic treatment was started at the first signs of folliculitis, which showed healing.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Different growth factor requirements for the ex vivo amplification of transplantable human cord blood cells in a NOD/SCID mouse model.

The growth factor combination containing early acting cytokines FLT-3 ligand (FL), Stem Cell Factor (SCF) and thrombopoietin (TPO) is able to maintain, for an extended culture period, early stem cells, defined as long-term repopulating NOD/SCID mice (Scid Repopulating Cell-SRC) contained in cord blood (CB). In this culture system, the role of IL-6 and IL-3 has not been clearly established. Using a combination of FL+TPO+SCF with or without IL-6, we were able to form CB CD34+ cells for 30 weeks. The CB CD34+ cells cultured in this system engrafted NOD/SCID mice after 6 weeks of culture; the cells from primary recipients were also able to engraft secondary NOD/SCID mice. When CB CD34+ cells were cultured in the presence of IL-3 in the place of IL-6 we observed an even better expansion of cells and a similar clonogenic progenitor output in the first 8 weeks of culture. However, more primitive LTC-IC output increased up to week 6 with the growth factor combination containing IL-3 and then decreased and disappeared, while with the growth factor combination with or without IL-6 increased up to week 23. Cells cultured for 4 weeks with the 4-factor combination containing IL-3 engrafted NOD/SCID mice less efficiently. Repopulation of NOD/SCID mice was no longer observed when ex vivo expansion was performed for 6 weeks. This study provides some evidence that no differences could be detected in long-term maintenance and even expansion of human primitive cord blood cells cultured with FL+TPO+SCF in the presence or absence of IL-6. Under the culture conditions employed in this study, the presence of IL-3 reduced the repopulating potential of expanded CB CD34+ cells.

Animals↗
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[Efficacy and critical implications of food handlers' professional training: analysis of an experience].

UNLABELLED: Our study aimed at both assessing the efficacy of the same training course in different contexts and training course repeated in the same context. We examined the most critical aspects, on which to develop further aimed course. In 1998 the Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology of the Institute of Hygiene (UCSC) has implemented 2 professional training courses both for food handlers of a refectory (course A) and of a hospital canteen (course B). Two years after a following course (C) in the hospital canteen. At the beginning and at the end of every course a questionnaire of 25 questions has been gathered in five areas. The data drawn by the questionnaires have been compared using the percentage of exact answers before and after the course. Correct answers beginning and end course: A 89% and 94%, B 68% and 77%, C 76% and 78%. The correct answers beginning course C and end course B are not significatively different (p = 0.1963). Critical areas of the C and B courses have been "microbiological risks" and "correct temperatures"; at the end of the training both the areas had sensitive improvements (C 40% to 59%, 60% to 78%-B 31% to 69%, 45% to 78%). CONCLUSION: Food handlers professional training have been effective both in the same context and in a different context; the training should be based on both the operator's knowledge and difficulties met during the training; knowledge obtained by training is kept unchanged for some years, and it is supposed to repeat the course after one or two years; the analysis of the areas has confirmed the existence of critical problems, common causes of epidemics in collective catering services.

Data Interpretation, Statistical↗
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Factors predicting early response to treatment with recombinant interferon alpha-2a in chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis. Preliminary report of a long-term trial.

To evaluate cost-effectiveness and response predictors of treatment with recombinant interferon alpha-2a in chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis, 263 consecutive patients were enrolled in a multicenter long-term study. A pre-planned analysis aimed at identifying predictors of early response was carried out when all patients had completed the initial 3 months of treatment with 6 MU thrice weekly. Sixty-three percent of the patients enrolled were classified as responders. At multivariate logistic regression analysis, baseline gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase levels and cirrhosis were the only independent variables significantly associated with response. The risk of no response after 3 months of treatment was 3.9 times higher (95% confidence interval, 1.6 to 7.2) in patients with high baseline levels of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase as compared with patients showing low baseline levels, and it was 2.0 times higher (1.1 to 3.8) in patients with cirrhosis as compared with those without it. We expect that results from this and other studies on large patient populations may help to select those patients who are more likely to benefit from interferon administration.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Mortality among workers employed in the production of pulp and paper in Apulia].

The authors studied a cohort of 2660 pulp and paper workers in Capitanata, Apulia (Italy). All workers with at least 1 year of employment on January 1 1965 or thereafter until march 30, 2000 where studied. Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMRs) were used to compare the mortality rates of the cohort with those of Apulian population. Ninetyfive percent confidence intervals (CIs) for SMRs were obtained. Cancer risks significantly associated with work where observed: all causes for males (SMR 112.09, 95% CI 104.91-119.77), brain cancer for males (SMR 206.04, 95% CI 103.04-412.01), digestive tract for males (SMR 126.78, CI 100.63-159.73). Association with other malignancies are suggested in this study for Laryngeal and Kidney. These malignancies have been associated with different exposures in the production cycle: biocides (Kidney), Formaldehyde (Kidney, Brain). Unclear is the risk factor for the excess showed in digestive tract cancer.

Chemical Industry↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Musculoskeletal disorders in piano students of a conservatory].

A four parts questionnaire administered to piano students of Conservatory "T. Schipa" of Lecce, southern Italy, was used to determine the prevalence of instrument-related problems. Among 121 responders, 48 (39.6%) were considered affected according to pre-established criteria. Univariate analyses showed statistical differences for mean age, number of hours spent playing per week, interval without breaks, lack of sport practice and acceptability of "No pain, no gain" criteria in students with music-related pains compared with not affected pianists. No association with hand site was found in pianists with only upper limbs diseases. The multivariate analyses performed by logistic regression confirmed the independent association for the risk factors age, lack of sport practice and acceptability of "No pain, no gain" criteria. Differently from several studies older students were more frequently affected and no difference in the prevalence rate was found in females. Findings suggest a probable causal contribution of fixed postures in the development of PRMDs in pianists in addition to repetitive movements of upper limbs.

Adolescent↗
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[Occupational fitness of workers with fibromyalgia syndrome].

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by widespread musculoskeletal chronic pain and by other clinical manifestations such as stiffness, fatigue, sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression. The disorder has a considerable impact on the ability to perform work and daily living activities, often reducing workforce participation. Fitness to work, in relation to biomechanically taxing tasks execution, vibration exposure, environmental microclimatic conditions and night shift, is discussed.

Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic↗
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[Acute pneumonia caused by aspiration of hydrocarbons in a fire-eater].

Accidental aspiration of fuel in fire eaters can cause an acute chemical pneumonitis known as 'fire-eater's pneumonia". We report a case in a 29 year-old fire-eater. Six hours after aspiration of kerosene, he developed fever up to 39,5 degrees C, dyspnea, cough and chest pain. Chest radiograph showed infiltrates in the middle and lower parts of the lungs and left pleural effusion. He was treated with an antibiotic and antipiretic therapy and then with corticosteroids. The acute stage lasted four weeks and the patient recovered without sequelae within 3 months. Hazard related to main fuels used for fire eating is discussed.

Acute Disease↗