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Biomedical subjects

S Sassi

Publications and source records attributed to S Sassi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Increasing plasma homocysteine during follow-up in heart transplant recipients: effects of folate and renal function.

BACKGROUND: Hyperhomocysteinemia is a common finding in heart transplant recipients and may represent a risk factor for graft failure. However, the time-course, determinants and effects of medical therapy on total homocysteine plasma levels after heart transplantation remain undetermined. The aim of this study was to prospectively analyze 1) the time-course of total homocysteine in heart transplant recipients; 2) the effects of folate supplements and cyclosporine A on total homocysteine; 3) the relation among renal function, serum vitamin levels, and total homocysteine. METHODS: Fifty-two heart transplant recipients consecutively evaluated for routine follow-up during 1998 were included in the study (mean age 54 +/- 12 years; 28% female). Among the 52 patients, 10 patients were treated with folate for the entire period of the study (Group F), while 26 patients never received folate (Group NF). The remaining 16 patients who did not take folate on a regular basis were excluded from subgroup analysis. Total homocysteine and creatinine plasma levels were assayed at entry into the study (time 0) and at the end of the study, 12 months later (time 12). RESULTS: Homocysteinemia increased significantly from time 0 to time 12 (p < 0.001), regardless of creatinine plasma levels (p = 0.03) and folate intake (p < 0.01). However, total homocysteine levels were lower in Group F compared to Group NF at time 0 and time 12 (p < 0.02). On multivariate analysis, time of follow-up, serum creatinine and lack of folate intake were positive independent predictors of total homocysteine. CONCLUSIONS: Homocysteinemia increased over time in heart transplant recipients, regardless of renal function and folate administration. Lower total homocysteine levels were associated with folate intake, suggesting that folate supplements may play a role in the prevention of vascular allograft disease.

Creatinine↗
PubMed2000

[Adenomyoepithelioma of the breast: two cases].

Adenomyoepithelioma of the breast are very rare and form a heterogeneous tumoral group in terms of their morphology and biological behaviour. We report two adenomyoepitheliomas of the breast. One appeared in a 29-year-old woman and was a tubular adenomyoepithelioma. The patient was free of disease at a 22 months follow-up. The other was a lobular adenomyoepithelioma that appeared in a 76-year-old woman and was characterized by its high mitotic rate and its association with myoepitheliosis. Adenomyoepitheliomas of the breast are currently classified as low grade malignant tumors that may recur and rarely metastasize, but their histoprognostic factors are not yet defined.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Chondrolipomatous tumor of the breast with myoid differentiation.

Benign human breast lesions containing chondroid tissue are uncommon. Their classification and nomenclature are confusing. We report a case of a voluminous, well circumscribed painless breast mass in a 47-year-old woman. The mass had been present for nine years and measured 17 x 8 x 6 cm. Histologically it was composed of breast parenchymal elements, fat mature cartilage and fibrous tissue with small fascicles of eosinophilic spindle-shaped cells intensely stained with actin and desmin antibodies. A careful review of the literature showed only one similar case reported by Metcalf and Ellis in 1985 and called "choristoma". We discuss this terminology and the other breast lesions containing cartilage.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1997

Hyperhomocyst(e)inemia and a common methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase mutation (Ala223Val MTHFR) in patients with inherited thrombophilic coagulation defects.

To assess whether certain abnormalities of the sulfated amino acid metabolism are associated with the occurrence of thromboembolic events in patients with inherited thrombophilic conditions, the levels of homocyst(e)ine, before or after methionine load, and the presence of the Ala223Val substitution in the 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) were evaluated in 119 subjects with a congenital single thrombophilic condition (type I deficiency of antithrombin n = 10, protein C n = 24, protein S n = 16; activated protein C resistance due to factor V Leiden mutation n = 69). Sixty-three subjects had experienced at least one documented thrombotic event, while the remaining 56 subjects were still free from any thrombotic symptom. Our results show that (1) high homocyst(e)ine levels, either in fasting condition or after methionine load, were not more frequent in subjects with inherited thrombophilic alterations (14.4%) than in normal control subjects (10% by definition) and (2) the frequency of hyperhomocyst(e)inemia was similar in thrombophilic subjects, who already have (14.3%) or have not (14.6%) experienced thrombotic events. As regards the MTHFR mutation, the homozygous condition was present in 23.2% of the thrombophilic patients versus 17.5% in the control subjects, a nonsignificant difference. The mutation was slightly more frequent in those thrombophilic subjects who had suffered a thrombotic episode (25.5%) versus those with no thrombosis (20.8%), with odds ratios of 1.61 (confidence interval (CI) = 0.58-4.52) and 1.24 (CI = 0.42-3.43), respectively. These differences were also nonsignificant. It is concluded that in subjects with inherited thrombophilias, a condition of hyperhomocyst(e)inemia "per se" is not a factor increasing the risk of thrombosis. The risk enhancement conferred by the MTHFR mutation, if any, seems to be slight or limited, and its significance could be ascertained only in a large multicenter trial.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Postoperative hemobilia. Apropos of a case].

Postoperative hemobilia after iatrogenic trauma to the hepatobiliary area is rare. We report a case of hemobilia which occurred after operative trauma during cholecystectomy. Exploratory laparotomy 9 years after the initial procedure provided the diagnosis. Suture of the fistule formed between the arterial vessels and the biliary duct was successful. We review the etiologies, diagnoses and therapeutic measures indicated in postoperative hemobilia.

Cholecystectomy↗
PubMed1995

Coenzyme Q content in synaptic and non-synaptic mitochondria from different brain regions in the ageing rat.

We investigated the Coenzyme Q (CoQ) content of different mitochondrial fractions [free mitochondria (FM), synaptic heavy (HM) and light mitochondria (LM)] from three brain areas (cortex, striatum, hippocampus) of rats at different ages. In rats from 2 to 26 months of age, we observed only small differences in total CoQ content (CoQ9 + CoQ10). In FM and LM fractions, values are very similar and appear to be much higher than in HM fractions. The CoQ10/CoQ9 ratios are much higher in brain mitochondria than in other organs, suggesting possible modifications of CoQ biosynthetic pathways in brain; nevertheless they appear to remain constant during ageing. CoQ9 and CoQ10 contents slowly decrease reaching their minimum in rats of 18 months of age, then increase in the older ages. Considering ageing as partially driven by a summation of free radical-mediated processes, we can hypothesize that damage occurring to biological structures in the first half of life might be followed by induction phenomena tending to re-establish the primitive levels of antioxidant molecules.

Aging↗
PubMed1995

In vitro biocompatibility of a polyurethane catheter after deposition of fluorinated film.

The in vitro biocompatibility of an experimental surface-treated polyurethane was compared with an untreated polyurethane already used for intravascular catheters. The experimental surface was coated with a fluorinated film using a glow discharge treatment. Neither of the catheters was cytotoxic for L929 murine fibroblasts, caused platelet adhesion or release reaction, or changed the mean platelet volume. The surface-treated polyurethane, however, caused a higher adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus than did the untreated one. Therefore, using in vitro testing, it has been ascertained that the examined material, though not being cytotoxic and not modifying platelet behaviour, could favour bacterial adherence.

Bacterial Adhesion↗
PubMed1994

Exogenous CoQ10 preserves plasma ubiquinone levels in patients treated with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors.

Ubiquinone is a carrier of the mitochondrial respiratory chain which regulates oxidative phosphorylation: it also acts as a membrane stabilizer preventing lipid peroxidation. In man the quinone ring originates from tyrosine, while the formation of the polyisoprenoid lateral chain starts from acetyl CoA and proceeds through mevalonate and isopentenylpyrophosphate; this biosynthetic pathway is the same as the cholesterol one. We therefore performed this study to evaluate whether statins (hypocholesterolemic drugs that inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase) modify blood levels of ubiquinone. Thirty unrelated outpatients with primary hypercholesterolemia (IIa phenotype) were treated with 20 mg of simvastatin for a 3-month period (group S) or with 20 mg of simvastatin plus 100 mg CoQ10 (group US). The following parameters were evaluated at time 0, and at 45 and 90 days: total plasma cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, Apo A1, Apo B and CoQ10 in plasma and in platelets. In the S group, there was a marked decrease in total cholesterol low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and in plasma CoQ10 levels from 1.08 mg/dl to 0.80 mg/dl. In contrast, in the US group we observed a significant increase of plasma CoQ10 (from 1.20 to 1.48 mg/dl) while the hypocholesterolemic effect was similar to that observed in the S group. Platelet CoQ10 also decreased in the S group (from 104 to 90 ng/mg) and increased in the US group (from 95 to 145 ng/mg).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1994

Uptake and distribution of exogenous CoQ in the mitochondrial fraction of perfused rat liver.

The system of perfusing rat livers has been used to evaluate the uptake and incorporation of liposomal CoQ10 into mitochondria. After 90 minutes of perfusion the cells are strongly enriched in CoQ10 up to levels of the same order of magnitude as CoQ9. Heavy and light mitochondrial crude subcellular fractions, low in CoQ10 in control livers, contain high amounts of the quinone after perfusion; yet the purification of these fractions on a metrizamide gradient reveals that the exogenous quinone is mainly associated with the light mitochondrial subfraction, enriched in lysosomes. An increase of the NAD-dependent glutamate-malate oxidase activity is observed in CoQ10 perfused animals. As the total levels of CoQ9 + CoQ10 in these animals are not significantly modified by the CoQ10 incorporated, the observed higher activity is not ascribable to an integration of exogenous quinone into the ubiquinone pool. An antioxidant effect of extramitochondrial CoQ10 on mitochondrial functions is suggested.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

[Prophylactic antibiotherapy using cefapirin in the surgery of duodenal ulcer: a randomized clinical trial].

A randomized clinical trial of antibiotic prophylaxis in patients undergoing gastroduodenal surgery for stenosing or bleeding duodenal ulcer was carried out from February 1990 to February 1991. Seventy-two patients were randomly assigned to either Group I (n = 33) and given 1 g of cefapirine intravenously every eight hours, four times, starting at induction of anaesthesia; or to Group II (n = 39), and not given any antibiotic. The surgical dressing was changed on the third postoperative day, and thereafter every two days in patients with fever. The efficiency of prophylaxis was assessed on the incidence of superficial or deep primary infection, and the length of hospital stay. Primary wound sepsis occurred in 7 Group II patients, and in none in Group I (n = 0.01). The results for those patients with stenosing ulcer (n = 53) were also significant: there was no primary wound infection in Group I (n = 25), whereas five occurred in Group II (n = 28) (p = 0.03). Hospital stay was shorter in Group I than in Group II (7 vs 9.5 days). Antibiotic prophylaxis also seemed to be efficient in patients with bleeding duodenal ulcers (n = 19), but their group was too small to reach levels of statistical significance. Again hospital stay was shorter in Group I than in Group II (8.5 vs 12.2 days). The efficiency of antibiotic prophylaxis was therefore confirmed for patients undergoing gastroduodenal surgery for stenosing duodenal ulcer.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Structural and functional aspects of the respiratory chain of synaptic and nonsynaptic mitochondria derived from selected brain regions.

Studies on brain mitochondria are complicated by the regional, cellular, and subcellular heterogeneity of the central nervous system. This study was performed using synaptic and nonsynaptic mitochondria obtained from cortex, hippocampus, and striatum of male Sprague-Dawley rats (3 months old). Ubiquinone content, detected by HPLC analysis, was about 1.5 nmol/mg protein with an approximate CoQ9/CoQ10 molecular ratio of 2:1. The activities of several respiratory chain complexes were also studied (succinate-cyt. c reductase, NADH-cyt. c reductase, succinate-DCIP, ubiquinol2-cyt. c reductase, and cytochrome oxidase), and generally found to be higher in mitochondria from cortex than from other regions. Study of the activities of some of these enzymes vs. 1/T (Arrhenius plots) showed a straight line with an activation energy between 7 and 10 kcal/mol in all the three areas considered. Only CoQ2H2-cyt. c reductase activity revealed a biphasic temperature dependence. Also anisotropy (as fluorescence polarization) of the hydrophobic probe DPH showed a deviation from linearity; the break points for both enzymatic activity and anisotropy were found at about 23-24 degrees C.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Changes in hepatic folylpolyglutamate pattern in phenobarbitone-treated rats.

Folate deficiency is a common unpleasant secondary effect of anticonvulsant therapy. In order to contribute to the knowledge of biochemical mechanisms leading to this condition, the effects of two i.p. high doses of phenobarbitone administered to the rat (acute treatment) on the distribution of hepatic folate derivatives have been studied. A significant decrease of unsubstituted tetrahydro- and dihydropteroylpentaglutamates and 5,10-methylenetetrahydropentaglutamates was observed. The hypothesis that a lower availability of NADPH, which is utilized for hydroxylation reactions in phenobarbitone metabolism, may limit folate reduction is proposed.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

[Compliance and long-term prognosis in hypertensive patients. Case series in a specialized hospital outpatient service].

In this study of ambulatory patients who had their first visit at the hypertension Unit of the Ospedale San Carlo Borromeo in Milan during the years 1979-1983, we report some data regarding compliance and long-term prognosis of mild hypertension. In these 5 years, 445 mild hypertensives (mean DBP: 103.3 +/- 13.2 mmHg) came to our facilities at least once: of these, 57 (12.9%) have been in constant touch with the outpatient clinic until today; 310 (69.6%) have been lost to follow-up after less than 1 year; 78 (17.5%) had an irregular pattern of attendance with a mean length of follow-up of 3.49 +/- 1.8 years. These data indicate a less than ideal compliance especially for patients who were older, smokers, not married and with no previous pharmacological treatment at the first visit. Index of morbidity and mortality for all causes and for cardiovascular disease and blood pressure control were better, although without reaching statistical significance, in the 57 patients with the best compliance. Altogether our data point to a reevaluation of the approach to the problem of mild hypertension through specialised hospital facilities.

Adult↗