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Biomedical subjects

V Fossaluzza

Publications and source records attributed to V Fossaluzza.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Clinical differences between ANA/anti-ENA positive or negative primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Fifty female patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome diagnosed according to the Copenhagen criteria were evaluated for both glandular and extraglandular involvement. They were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of antinuclear and anti-ENA antibodies (ANA/anti-ENA). ANA/anti-ENA negative patients presented with milder and later glandular and extraglandular disease and required less frequent corticosteroid treatment. No significant differences were noted in extraglandular manifestations with the exception of leukopenia which was noted only in ANA/anti-ENA positive cases.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1992

Combined therapy with cyclobenzaprine and ibuprofen in primary fibromyalgia syndrome.

Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs are not very effective, even if commonly used, in primary fibromyalgia syndrome (PFS), whereas cyclobenzaprine (C) has proved to be quite useful. The aim of this open randomized study was to compare low-dose C alone or in combination with ibuprofen (I) in 32 female patients suffering from PFS. Fifteen patients were given C 10 mg, and 17 patients C 10 mg plus I 600 mg. All patients received the drugs orally at night and were evaluated at baseline and at days 5 and 10. Assessment of efficacy included the number of tender points (max. = 16), muscle tightness (score 1-5), sleep difficulty (score 1-10), pain intensity (visual analogue scale 0-10) and duration of morning stiffness (min). At the end of the study all symptoms were found to be improved to the same extent in both treatment groups. An exception was morning stiffness, which became significantly more reduced in the patients taking C plus I. No patient discontinued the trial owing to adverse side-effects. In conclusion, C and I given concomitantly at night proved to be safe and advantageous in relieving the discomfort of PFS in the short term.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Treatment of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies with cyclophosphamide pulses: clinical experience and a review of the literature.

Short-term cyclophosphamide pulse therapy was administered to five patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) which were refractory to corticosteroids and, in two cases, to other aggressive therapies. Both disease remission and a reduction in corticosteroid dosage were obtained in four patients. Three of them have been in remission over since, taking only minimal doses of steroids during the subsequent two years. In the fourth patient a less intensive, maintenance pulse therapy could not be continued due to unacceptable side effects. On the basis of these results and of data from the literature, herein reviewed, cyclophosphamide pulse therapy may be recommended for adult patients with IIM who do not respond to or who do not tolerate conventional corticosteroid treatment, as well as when a steroid-sparing effect is desired.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

[Osteosclerotic micromolecular plasmacytoma].

We describe a patient with a k light-chain myeloma revealed by an apparently solitary mixed lytic and sclerotic rib lesion. This rare manifestation may be explained by a still balanced bone remodeling in the early phases of the disease.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1991

The prevention of corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis with nandrolone decanoate.

The effects of nandrolone decanoate (ND; 50 mg IM every three weeks) on calcium metabolism and forearm bone density were studied in a randomized trial in 35 women receiving long-term therapy with corticosteroids (CST) for rheumatic disease. The 17 patients who served as controls were on CST therapy for less years and their bone density was higher. Thus a second control group, pair-matched with the active treatment group for age, duration of CST therapy and bone density, was selected retrospectively. At the end of the 18 months' treatment course with ND, forearm bone density was increased by 5.1% (P less than 0.01) but fell by 11.3% (P less than 0.01) and 6.7% respectively in the first and second control group. The patients on ND differed significantly from both control groups in the changes at 6, 12 and 18 months (P less than 0.01). Urinary excretion of hydroxyproline fell significantly in patients receiving ND, whereas the biochemical indices of bone formation did not change (alkaline phosphatase) or increased (osteocalcin; P less than 0.01). In conclusion, nandrolone decanoate therapy may be used in the prevention of CST-induced osteoporosis. It also seems to exert mild inhibition of bone resorption without affecting or even stimulating bone formation.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1991

Misoprostol-induced urinary incontinence.

In a young woman with rheumatoid arthritis misoprostol induced urinary incontinence. The urodynamic study described here revealed a deficiency in urethral resistance which may explain the phenomenon. This side-effect may be more common than expected, and misoprostol should be administered with caution to patients suffering from urinary stress incontinence.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Radiolabelled semisolid test meal clearance in the evaluation of esophageal involvement in scleroderma and Sjogren's syndrome.

Esophageal involvement by scleroderma is frequent. Investigation by manometry or radiography is invasive and nonphysiological. Scintigraphy of the clearance of small radiolabelled liquid boluses in the supine position, while sensitive and noninvasive, may also be nonphysiological and does not allow the simultaneous determination of gastric emptying. We thus studied the esophageal clearance of a semisolid test meal ingested in the upright position. Forty-seven patients with scleroderma and 24 with Sjogren's syndrome were compared with ten normal controls and ten patients with gastric emptying abnormalities but no esophageal involvement. Results of scintigraphy were also correlated with manometry and contrast radiography. Quantitative evaluation of esophageal tracer retention at ten minutes postingestion was: (mean +/- SD), 2.8 +/- 1.0% in normals, 2.9 +/- 0.9% in gastric dysmotility, 4.8 +/- 2.9% in Sjogren's syndrome, and 22.3 +/- 25.0% in scleroderma; similar results were found at 20 and 60 minutes. The T 1/2 of gastric emptying was 47.1 +/- 5.7 minutes in normals, 95.9 +/- 25.3 minutes in gastric dysmotility, 62.9 +/- 19.5 minutes in Sjogren's syndrome, and 52.9 +/- 13.5 minutes in scleroderma. We conclude that esophageal clearance of a semisolid test meal is a sensitive index of esophageal dysmotility and correlates well with results from manometry and contrast radiography but is noninvasive and quantifiable. The simultaneous measurement of gastric emptying is also possible in many cases.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria imported into Italy].

A case of chloroquine-resistant falciparum malaria imported into Italy from Angola is reported. It represents a further demonstration that R III resistance to 4-aminoquinolines has spread to countries of the Central Africa Atlantic Coast with important implications for the treatment of patients and individual chemoprophylaxis.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Monoclonal antibody defined T cell subsets in primary and secondary Sjögren's syndrome.

Using monoclonal antibodies of the OKT series we studied the blood T lymphocyte subsets of 12 patients with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome, 15 with Rheumatoid Arthritis associated Sjögren's Syndrome and 10 normal controls. We found a marked reduction of T lymphocytes both in Primary and Secondary Sjögren's Syndrome compared with normal controls (p less than 0.001). While no difference was noted in the number of helper-inducer T cells between Primary and Secondary Sjögren's Syndrome, a more important decrease of suppressor-cytotoxic cells was demonstrated in Secondary Sjögren's Syndrome (p less than 0.01). These data may contribute to a better understanding of the disease.

Antigens, Surface↗