[Lymphocytes Fox P3 and chronic C hepatitis: preliminary results]. / Ruolo dei linfociti FoxP3 nella infezione cronica da virus C. Risultati preliminari di un protocollo di studio clinico.

OBJECTIVES: Characterization of Treg lymphocytes (CD4+CD25+) in immune response in patients with chronic viral hepatitis C. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two groups of patients were included: Group A (10 patients with chronic hepatitis C); Group B (10 healthy controls). In both groups, liver markers, liver function tests, lymphocyte typing, serum HCV-RNA were assessed. Liver biopsy was executed in Group A only. Peripheral venous samples were analyzed by citofluorimetric analysis, liver biopsy's samples were studied by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Group A patients showed a larger expression of Treg (CD4+CD25+) in peripheral blood than Group B with an ipo-expression of a subpopulation of Treg FoxP3+ (CD4+CD25hi). Group B patients showed a higher ratio (CD4+CD25hi/CD4+CD25+) than Group A. Liver biopsy samples showed a clear positivity for FoxP3+ Treg cells in the inflammatory infiltrated. CONCLUSION: Our study's preliminary results seem to indicate that Treg lymphocytes are really involved in flogistic process in course of chronic hepatitis C. Peripheral blood of infected patients (Group A) shows a low expression of Foxp3+ cells because they are sequestrated in the liver. These cells could be involved in the pathogenesis of the chronic disease and they would be employed how potential agents for a immunomodulatory therapy.

[Ultrasound in diagnosis of superior mesenteric artery syndrome]. / Imaging con ultrasuoni nella diagnosi della sindrome dell'arteria mesenterica superiore.

OBJECTIVE: To reveal a possible reduction of the aorto-mesenteric angle and to diagnose suspected cases of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome. It was controlled, prospective study in which, in order to reveal a possible reduction of aorto-mesenteric angle, the following techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a cohort of patients referred to our department by their general practitioners for unexplained dyspepsia and/or abdominal pain an abdominal ultrasonography with power colour Doppler was performed; patients with reduced SMA angle were screened by gastroduodenoscopy, hypotonic duodenography, contrast-enhanced spiral computerized tomography. RESULTS: In a cohort of 1468 patients, 460 subjects were taken into consideration, specifi cally the patients where US and power colour Doppler had been adequately performed. US detected a signifi cant reduction of the SMA angle in 20 of those patients; in these 20 subjects, gastroscopy showed duodenal compressive pulsation in 5 of the 20 patients under examination, and X-ray revealed a compression of the third segment of the duodenum in 18 of them. The following CT examination confi rmed the presence of a reduced angle and various degrees of duodenal compression in all patients. US and CT examinations gave overlapping results (p>0.05) in diagnosing pathological aorta-mesenteric angle. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of data led the authors to believe that the incidence of reduced aorto-mesenteric angle and SMA syndrome might be underrated. US power colour Doppler imaging that is a rapid, repeatable, and non invasive, low cost and easy to perform diagnostic procedure, is useful in epidemiological screening of reduced aorto-mesenteric angle to diagnose suspected cases of SMA syndrome in patients with inexplicable abdominal pain.

Effects of antioxidants on postprandial oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes.

AIM: To compare changes in the oxidation-reduction balance and endothelial function before and after meal in patients with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance and determine the effects of standard antioxidant supplementation. METHODS: Forty diabetics and 40 subjects with impaired glucose tolerance were compared with a control group. We assessed before and after a test meal (homogenized milkshake containing 80 g of saturated fat, amounting to 1,480 kcal), some reactive oxygen species, inflammation markers and flow-mediated vascular dilatation. These parameters were then reassessed after standard antioxidant treatment. RESULTS: After the meal, diabetics, subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and controls had higher levels of oxidant compounds compared to fasting levels. In subjects with diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), Vascular Adhesion Molecule-1 and CRP were higher after the meal--diabetic subjects exhibited lower fasting flow-mediated dilatation, which deteriorated significantly after the meal. Antioxidant administration significantly improved the parameters investigated in all subjects. CONCLUSIONS: In diabetic subjects, altered glycaemia and lipaemia are closely correlated with markers of systemic oxidative stress. Our results show that the abnormal changes in oxidative-reductive balance parameters are paralleled by similar changes in markers of endothelial dysfunction and inflammation at 4 h after ingestion of a fatty meal. Supplementation with a pool of antioxidants can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in healthy subjects and, more importantly, in IGT patients. This previous aspect suggests that the timing of antioxidant supplementation has an important role in endothelium protection in healthy and pre-diabetic subjects, and along with prompt antioxidant treatment before irreversible endothelial damage has occurred, may have an important protective role in subjects with IGT-patients who require administration of adequate dietary antioxidants.

Use of netilmicin once or twice daily in preterm newborns: evaluation of nephrotoxicity by urinary alpha1-microglobulin and retinol binding protein.

Since aminoglycoside efficacy is proportional to serum peak/MIC ratio and linked to post antibiotic effect, use of netilmicin once rather than twice a day has been proposed. On the other hand netilmicin might play a role in drug-induced nephrotoxicity, mainly on proximal tubule. Urinary retinol binding protein (RBP) and alpha1 microglobulin (alpha1m) are early and specific indicators of tubular damage and dysfunction. 21 preterm neonates (GA < 37 weeks) were divided in two groups on the basis of netilmicin administration modality (1: once a day, 2: twice a day, both for 7 days, at 5 mg/kg/die) and differences in netilmicin tolerability were assessed by evaluation of alpha1m and RBP levels by immunonephelometric method. No significant differences were found between the two groups either considering levels at time 1 and at time 2, or considering the difference between time 1 and 2 (Delta1/2). In our study once-daily dosing schedule shows similar low rates of nephrotoxicity, compared with multiple daily dosing schedule: this result may support the general adoption of once-daily dosing of netilmicin in clinical practice.