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Biomedical subjects

V Pietropaolo

Publications and source records attributed to V Pietropaolo.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The in vitro effect of monensin on BK polyomavirus replication.

The in vitro effect of monensin, a linear polyether, on the infection of Vero cells by BK polyomavirus, was investigated. Data reported in this paper showed an inhibition of BK viral replication by monensin as monitored by immunofluorescence and molecular hybridization. The inhibition of the synthesis of viral nuclear T antigen and the lack of production of viral mRNAs in monensin-treated cells suggest that the effect of this ionophore takes place at the level of the viral DNA delivery, by blocking the uncoating of BK virus or its transport to the nucleus.

Animals↗

Effect of biological and synthetic polymers on BK virus infectivity and hemagglutination.

The effect of several biological and synthetic polymers, chosen on the basis of different physical and chemical properties, was investigated on BK virus infectivity and hemagglutination. It was observed that polyanions like mucin, dextran sulfate and heparin depressed the viral binding, whereas polycations had no significant activity, with the exception of poly-L-lysine, which enhanced it. The effect of the active polymers was studied in different experimental conditions and the results obtained suggested that polyanions may act directly on the virus particle, whereas the target of polycations could be at the level of cell membranes. However, the effect shown by the active compounds did not appear to be simply related to the electric charge since neutral compounds, such as tamarind gum and locust bean gum, showed a marked inhibitory effect on BK virus binding to the cells.

BK Virus↗

Role of phospholipids in BK virus infection and haemagglutination.

The role of phospholipids in BK virus infection and haemagglutination was studied by competition binding experiments and by treatment of susceptible cells with phospholipases. Phospholipids extracted from Vero cells and some commercial phospholipids showed an inhibiting activity on both BK virus infectivity and haemagglutination. The treatment of Vero cells with phospholipases affected the binding of BK virus, but the addition of phospholipids to enzyme-treated cells restored their susceptibility to both viral infectivity and haemagglutination.

Animals↗

Endoscopic approach to patients with portal hypertension: a complex diagnosis. A retrospective study based on 10 years' experience.

We analyzed the endoscopic findings in 788 patients with esophageal and gastric varices who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy between 1 January 1979 and 31 December 1988. Of these, 154 patients (19.6%) had gastric varices associated in various patterns with esophageal varices. Congestive gastropathy, occurring with esophageal and gastric varices (43.4%), was the most frequent pathology detected in our patients. Esophagitis was present in 15.8% of patients, but did not correlate with variceal bleeding. Endoscopy performed at 1 day to 1 week post-hemorrhage in 313 patients accurately identified the source of bleeding in only 57.2% of patients. This figure increased to 98.2% when we performed the examination within the first 24 h of hemorrhage. In this group varices were the source of hemorrhage in 72.3% of patients while the hemorrhage came from other sources, such as erosive gastritis, duodenal and gastric ulcer in 27.6% of patients.

Adult↗

Endoscopic dilation of colonic postoperative strictures.

After the use of surgical staplers had become widespread, the number of colonic postoperative stenoses was observed to have increased. Nevertheless, the clinical relevance of this observation is minimal since only 2-5% of the patients complain of chronic constipation or obstruction symptoms. In such cases medical therapy is somewhat troublesome, and surgical treatment always implies a major operation. Endoscopic dilation has proved to be a reliable, simple, and safe therapeutic alternative. Forty-two patients with evidence of stenosis of either colocolic or colorectal anastomosis underwent mechanical or pneumatic dilation in our unit: 19 patients with a temporary diverting stoma were dilated before the colostomy was removed; in the remaining 23 cases, treatment was given according to the patients' symptoms or because it was not possible to pass the anastomosis with an endoscope. The overall failure rate was 2.4%, and no morbidity or mortality was found. When the percentages of patients successfully treated in one session alone were compared (76.9% versus 51.8%), balloon dilation was found to be more effective than bougienage. In our opinion, endoscopic dilation represents the mainstay of treatment of colonic anastomotic strictures, with surgery being reserved for the rare failures, when recurrence of cancer should be suspected.

Aged↗

Dysphagia lusoria: proposal of a new treatment.

Recent observation of one patient suffering from dysphagia lusoria has suggested critical review of treatment of the symptomatic aberrant right subclavian artery. Surgical correction of such an anomaly is difficult and may produce serious complications, and is not always successful. Endoscopic dilatation of the oesophageal stricture, even though it might only produce temporary relief of dysphagia, represents a valid therapeutical alternative because of its favourable cost/benefit ratio, low incidence of complications and patient acceptability.

Aorta, Thoracic↗

Endoscopic removal of foreign bodies in the large bowel.

Endoscopic removal of foreign bodies from the intestinal tract is an extremely useful method. In our series, foreign bodies passing down from the upper intestinal tract were removed endoscopically from the rectum and colon of 13 patients. No complications were observed. It can be concluded that endoscopy is a simple, safe and effective method which, in many cases, avoids surgical procedures.

Colon↗

Endoscopic sphincterotomy: indications and results.

Endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) is a simple, effective and remarkably safe method of treatment of choledocholithiasis and papillary stenosis. In this series, ES was technically successful in 255 (86.1 per cent) of 296 patients in whom it was attempted. Forty-nine of the successful cases had papillary stenosis complicated by pain, cholangitis and/or jaundice in patients after cholecystectomy; 205 had choledocholithiasis, of whom 164 had a cholecystectomy and 41 were poor surgical risks and did not have cholecystectomy. One patient had a tumour of the ampulla of Vater. ES has been performed as an emergency in 16 subjects because of severe septic cholangitis in 11 and acute biliary pancreatitis in 5. Of the 205 patients with choledocholithiasis, spontaneous passage of calculi after ES occurred in 151 cases (73.6 per cent), and instrumental extraction of stones was possible in 44 (21.5 per cent); 10 patients (4.9 per cent) had residual stones and required surgery. In this series the overall success rate of ES in removing common bile duct stones was 82 per cent in 238 cases; in the patients with benign papillary stenosis ES was successful in relieving symptoms and biochemical cholestasis in 72 per cent of 57 cases. Complications occurred in 18 cases (7 per cent): cholangitis in 4 (1.6 per cent) and haemorrhage in 14 (5.4 per cent). Two patients (0.8 per cent) with acute bleeding following ES died; in one of these surgery had been performed to arrest the haemorrhage, but the patient died 3 days after operation of hepatorenal failure. The other complications were treated conservatively without mortality.

Adult↗