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Biomedical subjects

S Romano

Publications and source records attributed to S Romano.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Circulating growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I in nonalcoholic liver cirrhosis with or without superimposed hepatocarcinoma: evidence of an altered circadian rhythm.

Adult liver is considered the major source of circulating insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Growth hormone (GH) exerts its effects by stimulating IGF-I release from the liver, which then mediates the somatogenic actions in target tissues. In turn, circulating IGF-I levels operate a negative feedback mechanism on GH release. In cirrhotic patients, single daily determinations, performed after an overnight fast, indicated that serum IGF-I are decreased, whereas GH levels are increased. To verify whether this phenomenon occurs through the 24-h period, we have studied the profiles of GH and IGF-I in cirrhotic patients with or without superimposed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and in a group of control subjects. The results of the present studies suggest that in cirrhotic patients, the above changes are constantly present through the 24-h period, and are associated with a loss of circadian rhythm for both GH and IGF-I. These data are consistent with a failure of the liver to synthesize and release IGF-I in response to GH. In addition, the presence of constantly higher IGF-I levels in cirrhotic patients with superimposed HCC, compared with cirrhotic patients without HCC, raises the hypothesis of a causal relationship between IGF-I and the development of HCC.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[The role of compromised regional function of the left ventricle in the evolution of postinfarct ventricular thrombosis].

Five hundred twenty-nine patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) underwent clinical, enzymatic and echocardiographic evaluation. Two-dimensional echocardiography identified 71 patients with left ventricular thrombus (LVT): 63 males and 8 females; mean age 54 +/- 12 years; 70 with anterior AMI and 1 with inferior AMI. The incidence of LVT was 13.8% and 27.7% among anterior AMI. At admission to Coronary Care Unit the patients with LVT showed more extensive left ventricular dysfunction than patients without LVT: Killip classification > or = 2 was 54.5% versus 41.4%, p < 0.05; peak of creatinphosphokinase was 1337 UI/L versus 951 UI/L, p < 0.05; echo-score was 7.2 +/- 2.8 versus 4.7 +/- 3.5, p < 0.01. Serial echocardiograms showed disappearance of LVT in 24 patients. Regarding regional wall motion abnormalities, patients with LVT disappearance showed lower pre-discharge echo-scores than patients with LVT persistence (6.7 +/- 2.2 versus 8.4 +/- 2.9; p < 0.01) although echo-scores at admission were similar in the 2 groups (7.1 +/- 1.1 versus 7.3 +/- 3.4, NS). These results suggest: the importance of extension of myocardial infarction and left ventricular dysfunction in LVT evolution; the importance of treatment limiting infarct size and improving left ventricular function, such as thrombolytic therapy. Anticoagulant therapy could be limited to patients with higher risk of embolization (as the protruding shape of LVT).

Chi-Square Distribution↗
PubMed1993

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in normal subjects: seasonal variations and relationships with parathyroid hormone and osteocalcin.

The measurement of human 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D) serum levels has a potential role in evaluating calcium and bone metabolism disorders. To determine normal ranges were studied, cross-sectionally, a healthy population of men and women, aged 18-69 years, over a 12-month period. Changes in 25-OH-D levels for the examined population fitted a mathematical model that demonstrated a highly significant periodic relationship to time. Gender had a significant (p < 0.03) effect on mean 25-OH-D concentration, but age was not significantly correlated with 25-OH-D in either sex. A 95% tolerance band was computed in order to have a time-qualified "range of normality" with circannual periodicity. Interesting periodic variations were seen for the parathyroid hormone (PTH) as well as for osteocalcin (OST). A moderate negative correlation was found between 25-OH-D and PTH in both sexes, with more significant evidence in males. No relationship was observed between 25-OH-D and OST.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

[The variability of the heart rate in patients with a myocardial infarct undergoing systemic fibrinolysis interventions].

Although heart rate variability is a very important prognostic factor in patients with myocardial infarction, the mechanism for the reduction in the vagal cardiac activity is unknown: myocardial infarction can cause local areas of sympathetic or parasympathetic denervation that leads to catecholamine hypersensitivity; the destruction of local ventricular receptors of the autonomic system may alter feedback to the higher centres, impairing autonomic regulation; the mechanical distortion consequent to the infarction can give rise to sympathetic overactivity. Effective thrombolysis in myocardial infarction could reduce myocardial necrosis and, therefore, cause less reduction of vagal activity and/or less sympathetic stimulation. To determine whether systemic thrombolysis has some effect on heart rate variability we studied 40 patients with a first transmural myocardial infarction. Enrollment criteria were very strict: all the patients with conditions potentially influencing heart rate variability were excluded from this study. Between day 15 and day 25 from the infarction patients had an Holter monitoring. A program we developed provided for the automatic identification of R wave, for the calculation of RR interval, and for the recognition of pause, extrasystolic and post-extrasystolic beats, that could be thus excluded from the analysis. Patients were divided in 2 groups: 17 patients treated with thrombolysis and 23 subjects treated traditionally. There were no difference between the 2 groups with regard to the age and cardiac function, except for the less echo score in the fibrinolytic treated group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Electrocardiography, Ambulatory↗
PubMed1992

Retrograde seeding of endometrial carcinoma during hysteroscopy.

Fractional dilatation and curettage remain the most reliable methods in the diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma in the symptomatic patient. In the past few years hysteroscopy has become a helpful method, improving the specificity of the diagnosis of this pathology. We report a case of clinical stage IA grade 2 endometrial adenocarcinoma diagnosed by hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy. Surgical staging revealed positive cytology. We suggest that irrigation of the endometrial cavity during the hysteroscopic procedure with saline may disseminate the disease to the abdominal cavity and may change the prognosis and the course of treatment.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1992

[Presence and significance of anticardiolipin antibodies in infectious diseases].

IgG and IgM anti-cardiolipin antibodies were measured, by an ELISA technique, in the sera of patients with B hepatitis (28), infectious mononucleosis (10), chicken pox (12), HIV infection (20), acquired toxoplasmosis (41) and other infectious diseases [HBsAg+ chronic hepatitis (5), brucellosis (6), herpes zoster (4), boutonneuse fever (3), viral pneumonitis (4), rheumatic fever (2)]. Increased levels of anti-cardiolipin antibodies (aCL), at least in one immunoglobulin class, were detected in 37 out of 135 patients [27.4%; range: 7.3% (in the patients with toxoplasmosis) -80% (in the patients with HIV infection)]. Low or medium titer aCL were present in 28 patients, high titer in 9 (6 with HIV infection, 2 with chicken pox and I with lymphoadenopathic toxoplasmosis). None of the manifestations associated with aCL was present in the aCL-positive patients. Finally, positivity for aCL didn't seem to modify the clinical picture and the prognosis of the infectious disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[Ultrasonic estimation of fetal weight].

To generate formulas to estimate fetal weight on the basis of sonographic measurements, 226 pregnant women were scanned within 3 days of delivery. Measurements included: biparietal diameter, head circumference and area, abdominal circumference and area, and femoral length. The contribution of each parameter to the estimation of fetal weight was tested by stepwise regression analysis. The best dependent variable was found to be the log of weight. The formula based on cranial and abdominal parameters proved to be inaccurate, especially when fetal weight was less than 2500 g. The addition of femoral length improved weight estimation, with a multiple r of 0.95174. The addition of gestational age led to even more accurate formulas. The most accurate found was based on biparietal diameter, abdominal circumference, femoral length and gestational age, with a multiple r of 0.95651 and an absolute mean error of 7.976 +/- 5.657%. It also produced better weight estimates at the 2 extremes of fetal weight.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed1991

Laparoscopic detorsion of adnexa in childhood: a case report.

A case of adnexal torsion in premenarchal child is presented. Prompt diagnosis was made with the use of pelvic ultrasound and laparoscopy. The later was used for establishing the diagnosis and furthermore for untwisting the adnexa. We suggest that laparoscopy should precede laparotomy and that conservative detorsion should be done more liberally in the young patient.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMed1991

[Prognostic stratification of non complicated acute myocardial infarct. Usefulness of the dipyridamole test with ecg-echo-thallium 201].

84 patients (pts) with recent first uncomplicated myocardial infarction underwent during the early post-infarction period, dipyridamole (D) test (EKG-ECHO-THALLIUM) and coronary arteriography in order to verify its feasibility, safety and usefulness in the detection of residual jeopardized but viable myocardium and in the diagnosis of multivessel disease. 69 pts performed a pre-discharge exercise test. During the execution of D test no major side effect occurred. The D-Echo was positive for residual ischemia in 41 pts (48.8%), the D-Thallium in 49 pts (58.3%) and the exercise test in 30 pts (43.5%). Both the imaging techniques allow the recognition of viable myocardium within the infarct zone (homozonal positivity) or outside the infarct zone (heterozonal positivity). The sensibility and specificity for multivessel disease are, respectively: with D-echo 50% and 100%; with D-thallium 60% and 100%; with exercise test 48% and 63%. D test has better diagnostic accuracy than exercise test in detecting multivessel disease; in particular we emphasized the excellent specificity of D-echo and D-thallium test. Poliparametric approach with D-test and exercise test gives a better stratification of the ischemic post-infarction risk.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Predictive value of the femur length to abdominal circumference ratio in the diagnosis of intrauterine growth retardation.

The ratio between sonographically measured fetal femur length to abdominal circumference (F/A) was studied in 471 consecutive normal singleton pregnancies from 18 to 40 weeks' gestation. The 90th (0.2715) percentile of this ratio was evaluated as a predictor for intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) in an additional 1,502 pregnant women; 146 fetuses were found to be above the 90th percentile, of which 20 were born growth retarded. A total of 69 fetuses was found post partum to be small for date; 44 were asymmetrically growth retarded and 25 were symmetrically growth retarded. Of the 20 growth-retarded fetuses, which were correctly diagnosed in utero, 19 were asymmetrically growth retarded. The additional 49 growth-retarded newborns were not detected using the F/A ratio as a diagnostic parameter. Low sensitivity (29.98%) together with low positive predictive value (13.69%) rendered the parameter unsuitable for screening IUGR. Nevertheless, the high specificity (91.20%), together with the high negative predictive value (96.38%), makes it a useful age-independent parameter in high risk pregnancies, where asymmetric IUGR is suspected.

Abdomen↗