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Biomedical subjects

V Pipitone

Publications and source records attributed to V Pipitone.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

[Changes in urinary serotonin in subjects treated with calcitonin].

In a first stage, the authors have evaluated the relationship between plasma calcitonin and urinary serotonin in patients presenting a chronic pathology, mostly of respiratory nature. The results have demonstrated that plasma calcitonin and urinary elimination of serotonin were increased (p less than 0.05) in patients presenting a chronic pathology, compared to 16 healthy patients of the same age and sex. In a second stage, the authors have evaluated the variations of urinary serotonin 24 hours after injection of 100 U MRC of calcitonin from salmon, in the same patients. The results showed (p less than 0.001) an increase of urinary serotonin at 24 hours. This increase is not observed after injection of eel or human calcitonin. The effect of the various calcitonin on serotonin metabolism is discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

[Connective tissue diseases and HEp-2 antinuclear antibodies].

Some characteristics of antinuclear antibodies that might be of use for diagnostic and/or prognostic purposed were studied using indirect immunofluorescence on HEp-2 cells in 55 cases of various types of connective tissue disease. For each nuclear (homogeneous, speckled, granular, dotted, pulverulent and centromeric) and nucleolar fluorescence pattern (homogeneous, conglutinated and dotted), the following parameters were observed; C3 fixing capacity, degree of antibody affinity and sensitivity to RNAse, DNAse and trypsin. The results were very interesting, especially in relation to the diagnosis of progressive systemic sclerosis and of the related subsets, but were insufficient for reliable, conclusive prognostic evaluation.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1985

25-Hydroxycholecalciferol in experimental osteoporosis.

UNLABELLED: The authors, using the experimental pattern of bone rarefaction induced by a low calcium diet, tried to determine if 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, administered at doses and according to procedures similar to those used in osteoporosis, might interfere in such a process of rarefaction. The statistical evaluation of the results concerning the size of the amount of spongy bone presented evidence for the sharp decrease in the specific bone volume in rats placed on a low calcium diet as compared to control rats. Such a difference is found even between rats treated with 25-OH-D3. Nonetheless, the authors reported a difference--although not statistically significant--that indicated an increase in the amount of bone in rats on a normal diet but treated with vitamin D as compared to control rats. IN CONCLUSION: 25-OH-D3 by itself, the diet being the same, was not able to ameliorate the amount of bone.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

[Evaluation of the effects of anabolic steroids, calcitonin and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol on the spongy bone of rats].

Prevention of the experimental bone rarefaction which occurs in rats put on a low calcium diet was attempted by using salmon calcitonin and 25 hydroxyvitamin D given with a similar regimen to that used in human disease. Results were compared with the previously reported effects of synthetic anabolic steroids. Statistical analysis was carried out on measurements of cancellous bone mass. No statistically significant increase in the femoral trabecular bone volume occurred in rats put on an hypocalcemic diet plus treatment by calcitonin and vitamin D whereas such an increase had been noted when anabolic steroids were used. Measurement of the trabecular bone volume of proximal and distal epiphyses demonstrated a statistically significant difference between rats on a hypocalcemic diet treated by 25-OH-D3 and rats treated by calcitonin or controls on a normal diet. In rats on a normal diet, 25 hydroxyvitamin D led to an increase in bone mass which did not reach statistical significance but is probably explained by improvement in calcium intestinal absorption.

Anabolic Agents↗
PubMed1984

[Polymyalgia rheumatica: a systemic vasculitis. Review of the literature and presentation of 2 clinical cases].

A brief historical account of the nosological and pathogenetic classification of rheumatic polymyalgia (RPM) is followed by an indication of the importance of vasculitis during its course. Elective involvement of the temporal artery is not always observed, though there may also, or exclusively, be involvement of other arterial districts, such as those of the subaxillary and subclavicular, that of the thoracic and abdominal aorta, and of the large branches of the lower limbs. Two clinical cases are presented in support of these assertions. It is also shown that arteritis may appear several months after the onset of RPM, and that its progress may be quite separate from that of the latter. Doppler examination is now of assistance in the diagnosis of these forms, since it permits exploration of the various districts and the detection of subclinical lesions. It is also useful in the monitoring of arteritis and its response to treatment.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

[Variations in the ratio of total calcium to plasma calcium ions in chronic liver diseases].

Total Ca and Ca++ were evaluated with a Perkin Elmer 305 atomic absorption spectrophotometer and a specific Orion 93-20 electrode respectively in 29 cirrhotics and 76 non-cirrhotics. Stress is laid on the reliability of the Orion electrode. Mean C++ was 52.02 +/- 4.46 mg% in the non-cirrhotics, in cirrhotics was 49.90 mg% +/- 6.14 mg%. An inverted ratio vis-à-vis total Ca was also noted: 54.73 +/- 3.65% in the cirrhotics and 56.51 +/- 3.73% in the non-cirrhotics. Although lacking in significance, these data underscore the importance of both partial and total evaluation of plasma Ca in the prevention of mistaken therapeutic approaches when liver patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

[Clinical significance of antinuclear antibodies in progressive systemic sclerosis].

Indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) was used to detect antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in 42 clinical cases. In each case cryostatic rat kidney slices and cultivated HEp-2 cells were used as substrates. Clinical diagnoses were as follow: Progressive Systemic Sclerosis (PSS) 25 cases, of which 8 were acrosclerotic, 8 diffuse, 5 CREST syndrome, 1 overlap PSS + Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and 3 PSS + myopathy; Localised scleroderma (morphea): 3 cases; Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD): 3 cases; "Idiopathic" Raynaud's Disease (RD): 4 cases; Dermatomyositis (DM): 2 cases (1 paraneoplastic); SLE: 1 case; Unclassifiable Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD): 4 cases. The ANA-positive cases identified by the traditional technique were divided according to pattern into 4 categories: homogeneous, peripheral, speckled, nucleolar. In contrast those identified using HEp-2 cells were divided into 9 pattern groups: (nuclear type) centromere, fine speckled, coarse speckled, diffusely grainy, homogeneous: (nucleolar type) speckled, clumpy, homogeneous. The results demonstrated a higher general incidence of positivity with HEp-2 cells and confirmed the close connection between Anticentromere ANA and CREST syndrome. A similarly close connection was noted between MCTD and both nuclear diffusely grainy and nucleolar speckled patterns. A fairly clear connection was also noted between acrosclerotic or diffuse SSP and a fine speckled nuclear pattern. It is felt that ANA tests using IFI on HEp-2 cells should lead to significant progress in the field of diagnosis and prognosis and the study of PSS subsets.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1984

[Capillaroscopic studies in connective tissue inflammations].

Capillarioscopy has been unjustifiably neglected in the study of connective tissue diseases, where examination of the microcirculation is clearly important. A study of 80 cases is reported. 12 systemic lupus, 11 progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS), 20 rheumatoid arthritis (including 3 juvenile and 2 Still's disease); 9 Raynaud's disease (of which 3 idiopathic, 4 with rheumatoid arthritis and 2 with UCTD); 1 dermatomyositis; 11 other CTD (2 overlap syndrome--1 lupus + dermatomyositis; 1 lupus + PSS--3 Sjögren syndromes with rheumatoid arthritis, 1 MCTD, 2 primary mixed cryoglobulinaemia, 1 systemic vasculitis, 1 Behçet syndrome, and 1 UCTD); 9 miscellaneous forms (3 psoriatic arthropathy, 1 rheumatic pelvispondylitis, 1 allergic dermatitis, 1 pulmonary TB, 1 ulcerative colitis; 1 scapulohumeral periarthritis, 1 unclassifiable rheumatism; 7 healthy subjects). During capillarioscopy, from one to nine slides were prepared for each subject. These were interpreted separately by three persons who were unaware of the respective diagnosis. Calibre, tortuosity, length and number of capillaries were recorded, plus the visibility of the subpapillar plexus, height and number of the termal, subungual and/or ungual vallum haemorrhage, plugging. It was found that PSS, dermatomyositis, MCTD, and overlap-PSS revealed a very typical common pattern, possibly pathognomonic, namely marked reduction in the number of capillaries + megacapillaries. The other forms presented less evocative diagnostic patterns, though they were fairly indicative in some instances. Clinical correlations of particular significance with respect to prognosis, however, were not observed.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1983

[Immuno-histological findings on Sjögren's syndrome].

Six cases of SS, 12 cases of SS in association with other diseases (AR, LES, MCTD, SSP) and 14 cases of various diseases with no clinical signs of SS (AR, UCTD, LES, MCTD, PM, cutaneous PAN, Scheuermann's disease, ankylosing spondylitis) have been examined. Examination of the patients included general clinical, stomatological and ophthalmological examinations, slit lamp and Schirmer I test, labial biopsy direct immunofluorescence on labial biopsy, indirect immunofluorescence on labial biopsy of a healthy subject scialography and salivary scintiscan. Various seroimmunological tests were also performed--in the hope of identifying LE, ANA, anti-ENA and anti-dsDNA factors. The results of these clinical, immunological, bioptic and instrumental tests were studied with a view to clarifying the diagnostic and nosographic problems of the syndrome. The diagnostic importance of immunological and instrumental tests is emphasized. Labial biopsy in particular also makes it possible to quantify the glandular lesion to some extent as well as providing other histological data regarding any associated disease. Nosographically, it is suggested that SS be definitively included among the connective tissue diseases in recognition of its polymorphism and variety of clinical forms which cover a wide range from definite SS, whether in pure form or associated with other diseases, to "subclinical" SS in systemic diseases.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1982

Indoprofen in rheumatic patients with acute episodes: a multicentre trial.

The results are reported of an open multicentre trial in 228 rheumatic patients with flare-ups. Fourteen centres adopting the same investigational protocol collaborated in the study. Indoprofen was administered for 1 week at a daily dosage of 1000 mg according to a treatment schedule used with success in acute gouty arthritis: a 400 mg i.v. bolus was followed by 200 mg (1 tablet) t.i.d. Subjective (pain) and objective variables were used for reliable assessment of activity. Marked reduction of pain intensity was already noticeable on day 1 of treatment and was followed by progressive improvement in subjective and objective variables for all the diagnoses considered. According to the patients' own overall assessments, results were good or very good in more than 50% of cases. The best outcomes were obtained in low back pain, acute gout and psoriatic arthritis. At the end of treatment only 7.4% of patients experienced no change or deterioration of symptoms. Adverse reactions, consisting mostly of mild and reversible gastrointestinal disturbances, were reported by 9.2% of patients, but only in 1.8% was treatment discontinued. Indoprofen administered according to the above schedule is an appropriate treatment for acute episodes of rheumatic diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Double-blind clinical trial of protacine versus oxyphenbutazone in rheumatic disorders.

A double-blind trial wa carried out in 30 in-patients, mainly with rheumatoid disorders, to compare the efficacy and tolerance of protacine with those of oxyphenbutazone. Patients were given oral doses either of 150 mg protacine or 200 mg oxyphenbutazone 3-times daily for 21 days. Clinical symptoms were assessed by semiquantitative scoring at 5-days' intervals. The same was done for side-effects. Protacine globally reduced the symptom scores by 55% and oxyphenbutazone by 34% (p < 0.001). Frequency and severity of side-effects were significantly less and less severe during protacine than during oxyphenbutazone treatment (p < 0.01). Physiological parameters did not vary during either treatment. Good efficacy, good tolerance and a convenient dose schedule suggest that protacine may well be suited also for long-term treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Double-blind clinical evaluation of a new anti-inflammatory drug, protacine, versus indomethacin.

A double-blind clinical trial was carried out in 69 rheumatic in-patients to compare the efficacy and tolerance of a new, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, protacine, with that of indomethacin. Patients received either 150 mg protacine or 50 mg indomethacin 3-times daily for 21 days. The time course of symptoms was recorded by semiquantitative scoring, as were side-effects. Uropepsinogen excretion, occult blood in faeces and standard physiological parameters were also monitored. Protacine globally decreased symptom scores by 58.5% and indomethacin by 24.3% (p less than 0.001). The computed time to reduce symptom scores by 50% was 17.2 days with protacine as compared to 39.2 days with indomethacin (p less than 0.001). Physiological parameters did not change, except white blood cells which decreased after protacine (each subject however, remaining well within the physiological range) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which decreased in both groups. Uropepsinogen excretion increased by 70% after protacine, and threefold after indomethacin (p less than 0.001). Occult blood search was positive in 1 patient receiving protacine, while 2 who were already positive before receiving protacine became negative during the treatment. Four patients taking indomethacin were found to be positive, 1 showing melaena. The one who was already positive before treatment showed increasing severity of occult bleeding during indomethacin administration. Frequency and severity of side-effects were significantly less with protacine (p = 0.004). In conclusion, protacine showed analgesic and anti-inflammatory actions significantly more potent and rapid than those of indomethacin, with significantly fewer and less severe side-effects.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Flurbiprofen in rheumatoid arthritis therapy.

Preliminary findings are reported from an open study of 300 mg flurbiprofen daily in 24 patients and from 6 out of 30 patients treated so far in a double-blind crossover comparison of 300 mg flurbiprofen daily and 150 mg indomethacin daily in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The results indicate that flurbiprofen is effective in relieving symptoms and is better tolerated than indomethacin. Using an experimental model in rats to assess the anti-inflammatory activity of flurbiprofen, data suggest that flurbiprofen is unable to prevent an immunological type of inflammation but is capable of modifying the type and extent of cellular infiltration.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Double-blind comparison of the antirheumatic activity and gastric side-effects of indomethacin used alone or in combination with a gastro-protective agent, proglumide.

A double-blind placebo controlled trial was carried out in 32 hospitalized patients with various rheumatic disorders to assess the therapeutic effectiveness and gastric tolerance of indomethacin (150 mg/day) used alone or in combination with proglumide (900 mg/day). Patients were treated for periods ranging from 20 to 28 days. The therapeutic response to both treatments, as assessed by objective criteria and final overall evaluation, was not significantly different. There was, however, a marked difference in gastric disturbance between the two groups. Uropepsinogen levels increased significantly during treatment in patients receiving indomethacin plus placebo but decreased significantly after Day 10 in those receiving proglumide. Although stomach X-ray or faecal occult blood investigations showed litle change from normal in either group, no gastric side-effects were reported in the proglumide patients whereas only 2 of the 16 patients receiving indomethacin plus placebo were entirely free of such side-effects throughout the trial, and most had developed gastric symptoms by the 9th day of treatment.

Adult↗