Circadian rhythm of peak expiratory flow in children passively exposed and not exposed to cigarette smoke.

Background: Because airway calibre shows a circadian rhythm and since exposure to passive smoking reduced lung function this study was undertaken to investigate whether passive smoking affects the circadian rhythm of peak expiratory flow (PEF) in schoolchildren.

Methods: Twenty schoolchildren (12 boys and 8 girls, aged 10-11 years) exposed to passive smoking were matched for sex, age, and height with 20 children who had not been exposed to cigarette smoke. Exposure to passive smoking was assessed by questionnaire and by urinary cotinine concentrations.

Cardiovascular effects of TENS: heart rate variability and plethysmographic wave evaluation in a group of normal subjects.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is generally used in controlling pain. Side effects are not frequent, but sometimes do happen. Among these, automatic disturbances have been described.

The role of ischaemia in the analgesia which follows Bier's block technique.

The effect of 30-min tourniquet ischaemia (Bier's block) on the antidromic homolateral left median nerve sensory potential (SP) and on the bilateral sympathetic skin response (SSR) was studied in 6 healthy volunteers. The SSR was provoked both acoustically and by electrical stimulation of the median nerve; the latter stimulus was also used to provoke the SP. After 28 min of tourniquet ischaemia, the electrical stimulus failed to provoke the SP and bilateral SSR, indicating blockade of the afferent limb of the reflex.

Persistence of human growth hormone circadian rhythm in patients with homozygous beta-thalassemia.

Plasma levels of human growth hormone (hGH) were measured for an entire day every two hours, starting from midnight, in 6 healthy male subjects and in 6 male patients with homozygous beta-thalassemia, without evidence of any endocrine disease. The data were analyzed by the "cosinor" method, and the results show the presence of a significant (p < 0.05) circadian rhythm for hGH in both groups.

Prognostic value of Pugh's modification of Child-Turcotte classification in patients with cirrhosis of the liver.

The Child-Turcotte classification, as modified by Pugh et al., was recorded on diagnosis in 598 completely followed patients with cirrhosis of the liver. The variables that comprise the Pugh classification are ascites, encephalopathy, serum albumin, serum total bilirubin, and prothrombin time.

Prognostic value of the plasma cell synthesis score in multiple myeloma.

The prognostic value of the Plasma Cell Synthesis Score (PCSS) has been tested in a group of 140 patients with multiple myeloma followed up from diagnosis to death. Calculation of PCSS, based on the regression coefficients obtained by multivariate regression analysis according to Cox's model, was performed according to the formula: [formula: see text] Substratification into three risk groups was performed as follows: low risk = PCSS more than 70; moderate risk = PCSS between 50 and 70; high risk = PCSS less than 50. Significant differences were found among the three stages regarding median survivals (p less than 0.

[Assessment of gallbladder motility in patients with alcoholic hepatic cirrhosis after a fatty meal. A real-time ultrasonography study].

Gallbladder emptying after fatty meal administration was investigated by real-time ultrasonography in 10 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, and 10 normal controls. Gallbladder volume was measured using the sum of cylinders method before and 5', 15', 20', 30', 60', 90', and 120' after fatty meal administration. Patients with liver cirrhosis presented the gallbladder volume significantly increased after 15' and 20', and significantly reduced after 60' and 90' in respect to controls.

Postoperative pain treated by intravenous L-tryptophan: a double-blind study versus placebo in cholecystectomized patients.

The effectiveness of intravenous administration (i.v.) of L-tryptophan, which is the precursor of cerebral serotonin, was verified in the treatment of postoperative pain.

Occupational risk for hematological malignancies.

A case-control study was conducted in 620 cases of hematological malignancies and in 1,240 age- and sex-matched controls in order to verify the possible association between occupation, toxic substances exposure, and the risk of hematological neoplasias. The results demonstrate that farmers and industrial workers have a significant risk for hematological malignancies. Exposure to asbestos, aromatic hydrocarbons, fertilizers, mineral oils, pesticides, and radiations is associated with a significant increase in the risk for these malignant diseases.

Plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide after exercise.

The plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide were determined before, at the end of exercise performed on a bicycle ergometer at constant 200-W for 10 minutes, and at 30 minutes after the end of test in 8 clinically healthy male subjects. The results show that plasma atrial natriuretic peptide levels increase significantly at the end of test, and return to baseline values after 30 minutes. The increase in atrial natriuretic peptide levels is significantly correlated with the increase in heart rate and in systolic arterial blood pressure.

Isolated atrial myocardial infarction: pathological and clinical features in 10 cases.

Isolated myocardial infarction of the atria is a relatively understudied and underestimated entity, rarely diagnosed in life. The pathological and clinical features in 10 cases of acute isolated atrial myocardial infarction are reported. They represent 3.

Classification and prognostic evaluation in multiple myeloma. A retrospective study of relationship of survivals and responses to chemotherapy to immunological types, 20 single prognostic factors, 15 clinical staging systems, and 6 morphological classifications.

In a group of 136 completely followed up patients with multiple myeloma, the prognostic significance of the immunological myeloma types, of 20 different single prognostic factors, of 15 clinical staging systems, and of 6 morphological classifications was retrospectively investigated by means of the calculation of mean survivals, survival curves, and responses to chemotherapy. A univariate analysis was employed in order to correlate each prognostic parameter at presentation with the survival in the whole group; a multivariate analysis according to the Cox's hazards regression model was used in order to select the most powerful prognostic variables. The patients were grouped according to the myeloma immunological types, to the mean value of each single prognostic factor, and to each stage of the clinical and morphological systems.

[Epidemiologic chronorisk of acute cardio-cerebrovascular diseases].

This review summarizes the accumulated data demonstrating that several cardio-cerebrovascular diseases do not occur with casual periodicity, but present a predictable critical time of ultradian, circadian, or infradian recurrence in their onset. In fact, during the last years, it has been clearly established that there is a prominent increase in a definite period of the day, of the week, and of the year in the frequency of onset of acute myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death, stroke, and fatal pulmonary thromboembolism. Morning hours, week-end, and winter seem to be the periods at higher risk, since a number of physiological processes that could contribute to the onset of the disease are intensified.

Short-term effects of atenolol and nifedipine on atrial natriuretic peptide, plasma renin activity, and plasma aldosterone in patients with essential hypertension.

The short-term effects of atenolol and nifedipine on plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), plasma renin activity (PRA), and plasma aldosterone (PA) were studied in two groups of patients with uncomplicated essential hypertension. Urinary catecholamines, and sodium and potassium excretion were also studied. A group of 20 patients with hypertension, after a wash-out period of at least 10 days, was randomly subdivided into two protocol therapy subgroups.

Multiple myeloma in L'Aquila and Avezzano, Italy, 1970-89. Changes in incidence rates, symptoms at diagnosis, and survival.

From 1970 to 1989, multiple myeloma was diagnosed in 184 residents in the counties of L'Aquila and Avezzano, two cities of the Region Abruzzo in Central Italy. The data were analysed for variations by sex, classes of age, urban and residence areas, symptoms and clinical stages at presentation, causes of death, and survival curves. The average annual incidence rate in the period 1970-89 was 5.

Diurnal variations of serum beta 2-microglobulin in multiple myeloma.

The chronobiological circadian behaviour in serum levels of beta 2-microglobulin has been investigated in three groups of subjects: (A) 6 healthy controls; (B) 6 patients with untreated multiple myeloma; (C) 6 patients with multiple myeloma in complete remission after polychemotherapy. From all subjects, under the same standard life conditions, venous blood samples were drawn at 4-hour intervals starting from midnight during the span of a whole day. Circulating serum beta 2-microglobulin levels were determined by RIA method.

Prognostic factors in multiple myeloma: a new staging system based on clinical and morphological features.

A new staging system for multiple myeloma based on clinical and morphological features has been developed on the analysis of 190 patients. A score of "1" was assigned to each of the following clinical data, referred at the time of diagnosis, and selected by multivariate analysis: bone marrow plasma cells more than 30%, haemoglobin less than 110 milligrams, lytic bone lesions of degree 2 or 3, serum beta 2-microglobulin levels higher than 678 nmol/l, and presence of Bence-Jones proteinuria. Therefore, the score for each patient ranged from 0 to 5, and three clinical stages were provided: I = 0 or 1, II = 2 or 3 and III = 4 or 5.

A possible role of atrial natriuretic peptide in ethanol-induced acute diuresis.

The acute effects of ethanol on plasma atrial natriuretic peptide levels were investigated in 4 clinically healthy males, aged 24-26 years, consumed either 750 ml of water as a control study, or the same beverage with 1 ml/kg alcohol added, which increased the plasma alcohol concentration to 99.12 +/- 15.10 mg/dl at 60 min.

Impaired pulmonary function in schoolchildren exposed to passive smoking. Detection by questionnaire and urinary cotinine levels.

Pulmonary function was evaluated by FEV1, FVC, PEF, MEF50%FVC, MEF25%FVC and MMEF in relation with passive smoking exposure in 143 children aged 6-11 years (mean age = 8.5 +/- 1.6).

[Chrono-risks in the episodes of fatal pulmonary thromboembolism].

A study on circadian and circannual rhythmicity in the episodes of fatal pulmonary thromboembolism has been conducted in 152 cases. The data demonstrate that the incidence in the episodes of pulmonary thromboembolism, evaluated as hour and day of onset in the clinical symptoms, presents a temporal, both circadian, and circannual distribution. The greater incidence occurs in the morning hours and in the winter season.

[Socioeconomic status and survival in multiple myeloma].

In order to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic status and survival in multiple myeloma, a group of 121 patients, followed from first diagnosis to their demise, was subdivided into three social classes: high, medium, and low. Social class subdivision was performed taking into account the degree of education, occupation, and income. Significant differences (p less than 0.