[Cardiovascular response to sympathetic stimulation in normal subjects with or without familial hypertension]. / Risposta cardiovascolare ai test di stimolazione simpatica in soggetti normotesi con o senza familiarità ipertensiva.

UNLABELLED: The aim of our study was to seek out a possible different reactiveness to cardiovascular stimulation tests among normotensives with and without positive family history of essential hypertension. We have studied about 200 inhabitants of Ustica and 49 medicine students, all normotensives according to the World Health Organization and the Joint National Committee criteria. In an isolated room and in a supine position, blood pressure (BP) and heart rate were measured every 30 s for 15 min with an automatic sphygmomanometer. Averages of last 4 measurements were considered baseline values. Then we have carried out mental stress (MS), handgrip and active orthostatism test (AO) in the inhabitants of Ustica; cold pressor test and AO in students. Patients were divided in 2 groups, genetics and controls, on the basis of a positive family history of essential hypertension. The 2 groups, in every sample, were similar for sex, age, body mass index and alimentary and life habits. RESULTS: a preliminary estimation of Ustica sample showed a different prevalence of positive history between hypertensives and normotensives (63.9% vs 46.61%; p less than 0.05) and no difference between hypertensive and borderline patients (63.9% vs 64.2%); BP and heart rate were slightly higher in controls; there was no statistical difference between genetics and controls. CONCLUSIONS: our results can be explained in various ways: pressor dysregulation in candidates for hypertension may be masked in a large group of normotensives; exaggerated pressor response do not exist in genetics or this pressor dysregulation is impossible to find out with the cardiovascular stimulation tests we have used; other mechanisms are responsible for genetic hypertension.

[Relapsing polychondritis. A case report]. / Policondrite ricorrente. Presentazione di un caso.

The authors describe a case of "relapsing polychondritis" showing that the characteristic manifestation of the disease on nasal and ear cartilage took place at a later stage than in the eye vessels, the inner ear and the trunk and valves of the aorta. The authors therefore consider the term "relapsing polychondritis" to be somewhat restrictive and claim that owing to the systemic diffusion of the disease in all vessels, R.P. should be included among systemic vasculitis diseases.

Microproteinuria as an index of initial renal lesion in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Our investigation included 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and a negative routine (albustix) proteinuria test, and 20 healthy controls. The albustix test was compared with a method based on multifractional Cellogel RS electrophoresis of urinary proteins. The albustix test was found to be not reliable in patients with RA. Microproteinuria was in fact detected by the electrophoresis method in 12 out of 20 RA patients. Eleven patients showed glomerular type proteinuria (which was "selective" in 5 patients and "non-selective" in 6 patients), and 1 patient showed mixed type proteinuria. Electrophoresis failed to show microproteinuria in the controls. The high sensitivity, easy handling and low cost of multifractioned electrophoresis (which does not involve disturbing the patients) suggest its introduction as a routine test for all RA patients, thus achieving both accurate clinical assessment of proteinuria and a rational therapeutic approach.

[Validity of the use of penbutolol in essential arterial hypertension]. / Validità dell'uso del penbutololo nell'ipertensione arteriosa essenziale.

Thirty patients suffering from WHO I-II class slight-moderate essential arterial hypertension were treated with a beta-blocker (Penbutolol) alone and once a day to assess its antihypertensive effectiveness and its affect on heart frequency, lipid metabolism and kidney function. The drug proved highly effective in reducing P.A.S. and P.A.D. values and no negative influence was documented on lipid metabolism, kidney function or heart frequency.

[Physiopathological significance of renal blood flow reduction in patients with essential arterial hypertension]. / Significato fisiopatologico della riduzione della portata renale plasmatica nei pazienti con ipertensione arteriosa essenziale.

a group of 120 patients suffering from E.A.H. divided into three age Plasma renal flow was reduced on average in all three groups. It is t this fact could support the hypothesis that the change in renal per y a pathogenic role in E.A.H. ss F1/hlp F2/que F3/ext F4/can F5/nxt F6/ins F7/up F8/dwn F9/fin

[Cytoprotective effect of rosaprostol during treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents in arthrorheumatic pathologies]. / L'azione citoprotetiva del rosaprostol in corso di trattamento con FANS in patologie artroreumatiche.

A clinico-endoscopic study has been carried out in a group of 22 patients treated with 1 g of naproxene + 2 g of rosaprostol compared in a blind situation with another group of 19 patients treated with a similar dose of naproxene + placebo in order to evaluate the cytoprotective action of rosaprostol. Analysis of the results showed a high correlation between intake of rosaprostol and low onset of algico-dyspeptic disturbances and mucosal lesions of some gravity, although the problem of the monitoring of patients undergoing long-term treatment with NSAID remains unsolved.

[Telethermographic evaluation of the intra-articular administration of thymopentin in rheumatoid arthritis of the knee]. / Valutazione teletermografica dell'impiego della timopentina per via intraarticolare nell'artrite reumatoide del ginocchio.

Fifteen subjects with rheumatoid arthritis defined as "classical" or "definite" according to A.R.A. criteria and classified according to Steinbrocker as stages I to III were submitted to knee joint infiltration (bilateral where both knees were involved) with 50 mg thymopentin in 1 ml, once a week for five weeks. Telethermographic examination was performed in all cases in order to evaluate the thermal inflammatory component before the first and 48 hours after the last infiltration. In none of the patients with the exception of only one case, did the drug lead to a significant change of the thermal index. This evaluation does not take into account any other objective and subjective parameters the study of which was beyond the scope of the above research.

[Treatment of chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency and chronic obliterating arteriopathy of the lower extremities with buflomedil hydrochloride]. / Trattamento dell'insufficienza cerebro-vascolare cronica e dell'arteriopatia obliterante cronica degli arti inferiori con buflomedil cloridrato.

Research has been carried out into the effects of a new vasoactive substance, buflomedil hydrochloride, on two groups of patients suffering from cerebrovascular insufficiency and obliterating arteriopathy at the lower extremities. Ten clinical parameters were assessed in the first group of patients (insomnia, headache, vertigo, tinnitus, asthenia, shaking, changes in reflexes, anorexia, memory disturbances, problems of concentration and character disturbances); in the second group, the muscular flow of the gastrocnemius as measured by the muscular clearance of NaI131 at rest, during standard exercise conditions, during ten minutes following exercise and in the post-ischaemic phase. The results can be considered satisfactory in both groups, especially after prolonged treatment and in the early stage of the disease. Drug tolerance was very good.