Showing papers by "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza published in 1987"

Motor neuron disease in the United States, 1971 and 1973–1978 Patterns of mortality and associated conditions at the time of death

Abstract: Mortality rates for deaths “due to” and “with” motor neuron disease are presented for the first time. Age-specific mortality rates increase with age until 70 to 74 years and then decline. There appear to be no major differences by race in the age-adjusted mortality rates, but these rates are higher for males both white and nonwhite. A case-control study of all deaths with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was conducted for deaths due to ALS in the year 1971. Conditions associated with ALS at the time of death include pneumonia and bronchopneumonia, symptoms referable to respiratory system, superficial injury to shoulder and upper arm, essential benign hypertension, chronic skin ulcer, and malnutrition. No association was found between ALS and malignancies, Parkinson9s disease, or dementia.

Intracellular insulin processing is altered in monocytes from patients with type II diabetes mellitus

Abstract: We studied total cell-associated A14-[125I]insulin radioactivity (including surface-bound and internalized radioactivity), insulin internalization, and its intracellular degradation at 37 C in monocytes from nonobese type II untreated diabetic patients (n = 9) and normal subjects (n = 7). Total cellassociated radioactivity was decreased in diabetic patients [2.65 ± 1.21% (±SD)vs. 4.47 ± 1.04% of total radioactivity; P < 0.01]. Insulin internalization was also reduced in diabetic patients(34.0 ± 6.8% vs. 59.0 ± 11.3% of cell-associated radioactivity; P < 0.01). Using high performance liquid chromatography six intracellular forms of radioactivity derived from A14-[125I] insulin were identified; 10–20% of intracellular radioactivity had approximately 300,000 mol wt and was identified as radioactivity bound to the insulin receptor, and the remaining intracellular radioactivity included intact A14-[125I] insulin, [125I]iodide, or[125I]tyrosine, and three intermediate compounds. A progressive reduction of intac...

Pathologic features in two siblings with the Pena-Shokeir I syndrome.

Abstract: Two siblings whose clinical and pathologic features were consistent with the “Syndrome of camptodactyly, multiple ankyloses and pulmonary hypoplasia” originally described by Pena and Shokeir were examined at autopsy. Additional features were intrauterine growth retardation, immaturity of the central nervous system (CNS) and atrophy of skeletal muscles. Our data suggest that CNS damage may cause the complicated phenotypic abnormalities of the syndrome.

A comparison of the assessment of mitral valve area by continuous wave Doppler and by cross sectional echocardiography.

Abstract: Transmitral pressure half time (PHT) was assessed by continuous wave Doppler in 44 patients with rheumatic mitral valve stenosis (14, pure mitral valve stenosis; 15, combined mitral stenosis and regurgitation; and 15 with associated aortic valve regurgitation). The mitral valve area, derived from transmitral pressure half time by the formula 220/pressure half time, was compared with that estimated by cross sectional echocardiography. The transmitral pressure half time correlated well with the mitral valve area estimated by cross sectional echocardiography. The correlation between pressure half time and the cross sectional echocardiographic mitral valve area was also good for patients with pure mitral stenosis and for those with associated mitral or aortic regurgitation. The regression coefficients in the three groups of patients were significantly different. Nevertheless, a transmitral pressure half time of 175 ms correctly identified 20 of 21 patients with cross sectional echocardiographic mitral valve areas less than 1.5 cm2. There were no false positives. The Doppler formula significantly underestimated the mitral valve area determined by cross sectional echocardiography by 28(9)% in 19 patients with an echocardiographic area greater than 2 cm2 and by 14.8 (8)% in 25 patients with area of less than 2 cm2. In thirteen patients with pure mitral valve stenosis Gorlin's formula was used to calculate the mitral valve area. This was overestimated by cross sectional echocardiography by 0.16 (0.19) cm2 and underestimated by Doppler by 0.13 (0.12) cm2. Continuous wave Doppler underestimated the echocardiographic mitral valve area in patients with mild mitral stenosis. The Doppler formula mitral valve area = 220/pressure half time was more accurate in predicting functional (haemodynamic) than anatomical (echocardiographic) mitral valve area.

Autologous bone marrow transplantation in acute leukemia.

Abstract: We evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) in 49 patients with acute leukemia, using ex-vivo-treated marrow with mafosfamide. This report summarizes data co

Sacroiliitis in seronegative polyarthritis: CT analysis.

Abstract: Sacroiliac joint abnormalities were evaluated by computed tomography (CT) in 29 patients with psoriatic arthritis and in 15 with colitic arthritis. CT showed a better sensitivity than conventional X-ray analysis in the evaluation of the articular space alterations in psoriatic and colitic arthritis as well as in detecting erosions and ankylosis of sacroiliac joints in patients with ankylosing spondylitis or psoriatic arthritis. Thus, CT appears a promising tool for the early detection of the pathological changes of sacroiliac joints.

Serial recording of VEPs to different stimuli in multiple sclerosis patients.

Abstract: VEPs to different spatial frequencies (1,2,4 cycles per degree) and different stimulus configurations (vertical, horizontal gratings and checkerboard) were recorded in 47 Multiple Sclerosis patients and a corresponding group of control subjects. Serial recordings were performed in periods of 1-6 years. We show that the highest diagnostic yield in MS is for VEPs of higher spatial frequency than 1 cpd, and that vertical gratings give reliable results when high spatial frequencies are used, whereas checkerboard stimuli elicit consistent VEPs only when the check size is 30'-15' of arc of visual angle. The use of fine vertical grating patterns dissipates controversies dependent on "W" shaped VEPs.