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Biomedical subjects

S Gatti

Publications and source records attributed to S Gatti.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Aneurysm of the popliteal artery. A case contribution of a 15-year surgical experience].

This retrospective study involves 45 patients operated in the years 1980-1994 for popliteal artery aneurysms with a posterior approach. The number of aneurysms is 60 because 15 were bilateral; 18 patients presented a polianeurysmatic involvement of the arterial tree. In 14 cases the intervention were performed on asymptomatic patients, in 46 cases the patients were symptomatic for ischemic disease. The reconstructive interventions were performed on 58 cases and only in 2 cases the medial approach to popliteal vessel were preferred on the basis of the great dimension of the aneurysms which involved also the superficial femoral artery. PTFE grafts were adopted in 33 cases, saphenous vein in 19 cases and Dacron grafts in 5 cases. We had no perioperative mortality and 4 patients died for causes not correlated to the intervention. We had perioperative complication in the group of asymptomatic patients. In the group of symptomatic patients 5 underwent a major amputation. The global patency of these grafts is 86% after 10 years. The posterior approach to the popliteal vessels has the advantage of a better view of the aneurysmatic mass and the anatomic structures and it permits a direct end graft. This graft is usually shorter than in the case of the medial approach and cannot be compressed by the aneurysmatic mass.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Entamoeba histolytica autochthonous isolates from mentally retarded Italian patients.

A total of 77 mentally retarded male inpatients residing in a psychiatric institution in northern Italy were screened for the presence of stool parasites, Entamoeba histolytica particularly. Parasitological stool examination showed Entamoeba spp. (E. histolytica and/or E. dispar) in 26 cases (33.7%). In vitro culture on Robinson's medium was positive in 16 cases (61.1%); in 11 cases we could stabilize and clone the isolates and proceed to electrophoretic assays. In all cases, patterns of pathogenic zymodemes were found (zymodeme II, 3 isolates; zymodeme XII, 4 isolates; zymodeme XIV, 4 isolates). All isolates were therefore identified as E. histolytica.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and MR spectroscopy of nerve regeneration and target muscle energy metabolism in a model of prosthesis-guided reinnervation in rats.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: We monitored the regeneration of the rat sciatic nerve after its transection and the concomitant alteration in the high-energy phosphates content in the target tibialis anterior muscle. METHODS: Rat sciatic nerve was resected and the gap connected with a prosthesis of polytetrafluoroethylene. Progress of reinnervation was monitored by 1H MR imaging, whereas muscular energy metabolism was evaluated by localized 31P MR spectroscopy. RESULTS: Reconstitution between the nerve stumps was resumed 8-12 weeks postoperatively. The ratio of phosphocreatine to inorganic phosphate reached a plateau at 46% of the initial level approximately 8 weeks after the operation and recovered thereafter. Immediately after the surgery, muscular pH became slightly alkaline and returned to normal with the progress of reinnervation. CONCLUSION: Recovery of the muscular energy metabolism began after the reconnection of the severed nerve stumps. The combination of MR imaging and MR spectroscopy followed noninvasively the progress of reinnervation and muscular energy metabolism of the prosthesis-guided nerve regeneration.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Efficacy of low-dose GnRH analogue (Buserelin) in the treatment of hirsutism.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of low dose GnRH analogue (Buserelin) on gonadal steroid secretion and hair growth in hirsute women. The drug was administered as a nasal spray (200 micrograms tid) to reduce gonadal steroid secretion. Eight hirsute women were treated for six month with the gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog. All had subclinical polycystic ovary syndromes on the basis of ultrasound or hormonal data, together with ovary dysfunctions and irregular menses. None had adrenal or pituitary dysfunction. The score of hirsutism was evaluated according to Ferriman and Gallway; pituitary function was evaluated measuring the FSH and LH response to GnRH stimulation and gonadal steroid secretion by measuring estradiol, progesterone, total plasma testosterone, androstenedione and androstanediol. Sex hormone binding globulin, insulin, prolactin and DHEA-S were also measured. The suppression of ovarian steroid secretion was confirmed by reductions in total plasma testosterone, and rostenedione and androstanediol that were detectable after one month of treatment. FSH and LH responses to GnRH stimulation were inhibited consistent with pituitary desensitization. No significant side effects were observed and all patients completed the trial. The score of hirsutism was 24 +/- 5 before, 19.6 +/- 6 by the 3rd month and 16.8 +/- 5.1 by the 6th month of treatment (p < 0.001); the effect was still evident 1 and 6 months after the withdrawal of the therapy (14.8 +/- and 15.8 +/- 5 respectively; p < 0.001). Our findings indicate that Buserelin is useful in the treatment of non adrenal hirsutism when other forms of therapy are contraindicated or poorly tolerated by the patient.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Improvement of cardiac function by allopurinol in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Allopurinol reduces formation of cytotoxic free radicals during myocardial ischemia/reperfusion in animals. To evaluate the effect of allopurinol on cardiac performance and metabolism after coronary bypass in humans, we divided 33 patients into two groups: 15 patients (controls) received no allopurinol and 18 patients received 200 mg allopurinol intravenously (i.v.) 1 h preoperatively. Hemodynamic measurements were made with a triple-lumen thermodilution pulmonary artery catheter before cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), 30 min after completion of CPB and 6 h later in the intensive care unit (ICU). A catheter placed into the coronary sinus was used for blood sampling for measurement of lactate and creatine phosphokinase MB. Peripheral blood was obtained for measurement of xanthine oxidase activity (XO), uric acid, and thiol groups. A myocardial biopsy was taken for measurement of thiol group content and XO before CPB and after heparin neutralization with protamin (a few minutes after CPB). Treated patients had better recovery of cardiac output (CO) and left ventricular stroke work (LVSW) 30 min and 6 h after completion of CPB than did controls. Allopurinol significantly reduced plasma XO. Plasma concentrations of uric acid increased significantly in both groups 30 min after completion of CPB, but the increase in controls was greater (p < 0.02) than with allopurinol. Thiol group levels increased (p < 0.05) only in controls. Our results demonstrate improvement of cardiac function in coronary artery bypass surgery with allopurinol that is related to its metabolic effects consistent with protection against XO catalyzed free radical-mediated injury.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Changes in non-synaptosomal and synaptosomal mitochondrial membrane-linked enzymatic activities after transient cerebral ischemia.

Non-synaptosomal and synaptosomal mitochondrial membrane-linked enzymatic activities, NADH-cytochrome c reductase rotenone insensitive (marker of the outer membrane) and cytochrome oxidase (marker of the inner membrane), were measured in rat brain hippocampus and striatum immediately after and 1, 4 and 7 days following the induction of complete transient ischemia (15 min) by the four vessel occlusion method. Furthermore citrate synthetase activity was measured with and without Triton X-100 in order to qualitatively evaluate the membrane permeability. Non-synaptosomal mitochondrial membranes showed reduction of both activities only in the late reperfusion phase: NADH-CCRRi decreased in striatal mitochondria after 4-7 days and only after 7 days in the hippocampus. COX activity decreased only in striatal mitochondria 7 days after ischemia. Non-synaptosomal mitochondrial membrane permeability did not show changes. Synaptosomal mitochondria showed a decrease of NADH-CCRRi only at 7 days of reperfusion both in hippocampus and striatum, while COX activity decreased only during ischemia and returned to normal levels in the following days in the two areas considered. In summary, free mitochondria showed insensitiveness to ischemia but they resulted damaged in the late reperfusion phase, while mitochondria from the synaptic terminal showed ischemic damage, partially restored during reperfusion. The striatal mitochondria showed a major susceptibility to ischemia/reperfusion damage, showing changes earlier than the hippocampal ones.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Deletion mutants of human interleukin 1 beta with significantly reduced agonist properties: search for the agonist/antagonist switch in ligands to the interleukin 1 receptors.

The existence of an endogenous high affinity interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) suggests that this molecule lacks some structural motif(s) which are present in the closely homologous agonist interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) and which serve as the 'agonist switch' causing signal transduction by the agonist-receptor complex. The primary sequence alignment of IL-1 beta and IL-1ra sequences from different species reveals a six amino acid long motif that is quasi conserved among IL-1 beta sequences, but is missing from the IL-1ra sequences. The three-dimensional structure of human IL-1 beta was used as a template for building structural models of deletion mutants (delta SND 52-54 and delta EESNDK 50-55) using molecular graphics. These models indicated that the middle three residues SND 52-54 from the EESNDK 50-55 loop may be deleted without causing major changes in the tertiary structure of the mutant as compared to that of IL-1 beta. Residues SND 52-54 from the above loop were deleted. When compared with IL-1 beta the IL-1 beta-delta SND analog (delta SND 52-54) binds with the same affinity to type 2 IL-1 receptor but with a more than 10-fold lower affinity to type 1 IL-1 receptor. Despite of this small decrease in affinity at the type 1 receptor the delta SND 52-54 has a 1000-fold lower biological activity than IL-1 beta when tested in a thymocyte activating factor assay.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Intestinal co-infection by Cyclospora sp. and Cryptosporidium parvum: first report in an AIDS patient.

Cyclospora is recently described new human pathogenic coccidian causing intermittent diarrhoeal enteritis which may persist for weeks or months in immunocompetent subjects, particularly travellers visiting some tropical areas and countries, such as Nepal, the Caribbean, Peru and Mexico. More rarely this enteric pathogen affects immunocompromised humans, namely HIV-infected people or AIDS patients, with some clinical pictures recognized in normal hosts. We describe the first case of Cyclospora sp. and Cryptosporidium parvum associated diarrhoeal enteritis in an adult AIDS patient.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1994

Erythema multiforme during GM-CSF therapy.

A 52-year-old Caucasian man treated with granulocyte-macrophage colonystimulating factor (GM-CSF) developed a cutaneous eruption on legs and ankles with clinical and histologic features of erythema multiforme. Laboratory studies indicated that the eruption occurred at the time of peripheral blood lymphocyte recovery and that it was coincidental with serum peaks of interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha. We postulate that GM-CSF provoked erythema multiforme in a predisposed individual as a consequence of either an inappropriate cytokine secretion or of an abnormal amplification mechanism following lymphocyte recovery.

Erythema Multiforme↗
PubMed1994

Isolation and identification of Encephalitozoon hellem from an Italian AIDS patient with disseminated microsporidiosis.

Microsporidia are primitive mitochondria-lacking spore-forming eukaryotic protozoa that infect a wide variety of animals and also humans. Of the five genera (Encephalitozoon, Enterocytozoon, Septata, Nosema and Pleistophora) that cause infections in humans, Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Septata intestinalis, and Encephalitozoon hellem are being increasingly identified in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). E. bieneusi causes gastrointestinal disease, S. intestinalis causes gastrointestinal and disseminated disease, and E. hellem causes ocular as well as disseminated disease. We have established in continuous culture a strain of microsporidia isolated from the urine and throat washings of an Italian AIDS patient and identified it as Encephalitozoon hellem, based on its ultrastructural morphology, antigenic pattern, and polymerase chain reaction-amplified small subunit ribosomal RNA. We believe that this is the first time that a strain of microsporidia has been isolated from the throat washings of a patient with microsporidiosis.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗