[Industrial manufacturing of the wool: pathology secondary to the biomechanical involvement of the upper limbs and the course in relation to work tasks]. / Lavorazione industriale dello lana: patologie secondarie all'impegno biomeccanico degli arti superiori (UEWMSDS) e loro evoluzione in relazione alla mansione lavorativa.

In years 2003-2005, 1248 laborers of Zegna Baruffa - Lane Borgosesia Company (establishment of Borgosesia and Vallemosso) have been visited and we selected 102 cases of pathology from upper extremity work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the units with working risk. Subsequently from April 2005 to May 2006 we have controlled the clinical evolution of the enlisted laborers and we noted that in 54% of the cases the clinical symptomatology has been resolved with a rest works and a correct therapy. The diagnosis, the treatment and the change of working duty can resolve a meaningful number of clinical cases.

[Industrial processing of wool: biomechanics and ergonomic aspects]. / Lavorazione industriale della lana: impegno biomeccanico ed aspetti ergonomici.

Workers in a wool processing industry were analyzed for risk factors in development of musculoskeletal disorders from specific repetitive movements that they executed, in all phases of the preparation of wool products ("tintoria", "mescolanza", "finitura", "filatura", "riroccatura", "ritorcitura", "confezionamento"). The evaluation revealed nonergonomic work situations, due to both repetitive movements of the upper extremities as well as prolonged asymmetrical postures of the trunk while moving loads; both of these problems were due to suboptimal interface between the anthropomorphic characteristics of the operators and the technical movements required at the machines. The risk analysis was performed both for cumulative trauma disorders as well as for low back pain, based on formulas in the exisiting literature. Ergonomic interventions were implemented and evaluated for the most stressful situations.

Primary human mesothelioma cells express class II MHC, ICAM-1 and B7-2 and can present recall antigens to autologous blood lymphocytes.

Mesothelioma cells (MMc) are considered to be weakly immunogenic and the experimental approaches attempting to induce an immune response against these cells have been disappointing. Our aim was to investigate whether MMc possess the surface accessory molecules involved in antigen presentation and whether these cells are capable of presenting recall antigens to autologous blood lymphocytes. Four primary MMc cultures were generated from malignant effusions and examined to assess whether the accessory molecules required for antigen presentation were present on their surfaces. Intercellular adhesion molecule-I (ICAM-I; CD54); class I and class II major histocompatibility complex-DR (MHCI and MHCII-DR); B7-1 (CD80.3); and B7-2 (CD86) expression by MMc was studied by immunocytochemical and/or FACScan analysis. MMc were pulsed with purified protein derivative (PPD), Tetanus toxoid (TT) and Candida albicans (CA) bodies, and incubated with autologous lymphocytes. Lymphocyte proliferation was estimated by radionucleotide incorporation. Phenotypic analysis showed the presence of MHCII-DR, ICAM-I and B7-2 on primary MMc cultures, whereas the phenotypic evaluation of 2 established MMc lines did not show the presence of the B7-1 and B7-2 molecules. In addition, MHCII-DR was detectable only after interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) stimulation. Primary MMc cultures acquired the capability to induce lymphocyte proliferation after pulse with the recall antigens. To achieve characterization of these lymphocytes, we generated a PPD-specific CD4+ T-cell clone. PPD-pulsed MMc were shown to specifically induce T-cell clone proliferation through a MHCII-DR-mediated process. We conclude that primary MMc possess the surface molecules required for antigen presentation and can present recall antigens to CD4+ lymphocytes.

Inflammatory cells and mediators in bronchial lavage of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Cigarette smoking is the most important cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although the precise sequence of events that leads a smoker to experience airway obstruction is not completely clear, airway inflammation is a relevant factor. To investigate airway inflammation, 12 nonatopic smoking COPD patients with a forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) < or = 75% predicted and 10 normal nonsmoking subjects (NS) were studied with bronchoscopy and bronchial lavage (BL). Serum immunoglobulin (Ig)E levels of COPD patients correlated with the smoking history (r=0.7, p=0.008). In BL of COPD patients there was an increase of neutrophils (median, range) (COPD 62.6x10(3), 1.2-323, NS 1.35, 0-19.2, p=0.001), eosinophils (COPD 1.6, 0-6.9, NS 0.15, 0-3.7, p=0.035), the levels of interleukin (IL)-8 (COPD 1079 pg x mL(-1), 121-2,500, NS 20.4, 7.2-59, p=0.001), myeloperoxidase (MPO) (COPD 752 microg x L(-1), 11-5,500, NS 22.1, 8-70, p=0.001) and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) (COPD 21.5 microg x L(-1), 1.8-161, NS 2, 1.8-4.9, p=0.001). Significant correlations were found in BL of COPD patients between IL-8 and neutrophils (p=0.02), MPO and neutrophils (p=0.02), IL-8 and MPO (p=0.0001) and ECP and eosinophils (p=0.02). In addition, the ratios between the BL levels of MPO and the number of neutrophils and between ECP levels and eosinophils were higher in COPD patients than in NS (p=0.03 and 0.01, respectively). These data suggest that cigarette smoke is associated with increased amounts of airway interleukin-8, a chemotactic factor for neutrophils and eosinophils. Recruited neutrophils and eosinophils are activated and they release increased amounts of inflammatory mediators capable of damaging the bronchial tissue.

[Bamifylline in the therapy of asthmatic syndromes. Efficacy and side effects vs delayed-action theophylline anhydride]. / La bamifillina nella terapia delle sindromi asmatiche. Efficacia ed effetti collaterali vs teofillina anidra ad azione prolungata.

Two homogeneous groups of 8 patients suffering from bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive bronchial pneumonia were treated with slow release theophylline anhydride or bamiphylline respectively, both products being given orally twice a day. The results showed that both drugs possess a powerful bronchodilatory action and therefore have a beneficial effect on subjective symptoms. Statistical analysis confirmed the absence of any significant difference between the two xanthine derivatives, both of which were well-tolerated though bamiphylline offered a slight advantage in this respect. In fact there were no side effects at all in the bamiphylline group whereas there was one case of moderate gastric intolerance in the group given theophylline anhydride, though it was not severe enough to warrant suspension of the treatment or reduction of the dose.

[Antiblastic agent-induced vomiting: possibilities of its prevention and alizapride therapy]. / Vomito indotto da antiblastici: possibilità di prevenzione e terapia con alizapride.

The spread of cytostatics has made the search for safe drugs for the prevention and treatment of induced vomiting important. In the present study, the protective (prophylactic and therapeutic) effect of Alizapride has been examined. Ten oncological patients of average age 60 were treated with a total of 30 cycles according to the commonest protocols of drugs with varying emetic potential (from bland bleomycin type to high cisplatin type). The patients were subdivided into two groups: a) prophylaxis before and after chemotherapy; b) treatment only as needed. Analysis of the data showed excellent tolerance and significant effectiveness in both groups.

[High-frequency atrial arrhythmia induced by a cisplatin-etoposide combination]. / Aritmia atriale ad alta frequenza indotta dalla combinazione cisplatino-etoposide.

The cardiotoxicity of cytostatic drugs reported in the literature is marked for some (adriamycin), rather rare for others. Cases of angina, infarction, and atrial arrhythmia have been reported during treatment with cisplatin. The case is reported of a 65-year-old patient with no risk factors for cardiovascular disease who had two attacks of high-frequency atrial arrhythmia during combined treatment with cisplatin and etoposide. The first attack came after the first cycle and disappeared spontaneously; the second, after the second cycle, required antiarrhythmic treatment. The potential myocardial toxicity of cisplatin, especially when combined with other potentially cardiotoxic drugs or administered after cycles of adriamycin is discussed.