Neuropsychological deficits correlate with symptoms severity and cortical thickness in Borderline Personality Disorder.

Background: Neuropsychological abnormalities have been proposed to contribute to the development and maintenance of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Previous meta-analyses and reviews confirmed deficits in a broad range of cognitive domains, including attention, cognitive flexibility, memory, executive functions, planning, information processing, and visuospatial abilities, often suggested to underlie brain abnormalities. However, no study directly explored the structural neural correlates of these deficits in BPD, also accounting for the possible confounding effect of pharmacological treatments, often used as adjunctive symptom-targeted therapy in clinical setting.

[Cancer during pregnancy: between medicalization and desire for motherhood.].

Neoplasms that arise during pregnancy or within the first year of childbirth are rare events, the occurrence of which, however, tends to increase due to the advancement of the age of reproduction. The simultaneous manifestation of the two events determines in the woman a deep distress due partly to oncological treatments and partly to the woman's wish to experience the "normality of pregnancy". Anxiety, depressive thoughts and fear of the illness reoccurring are all elements that increase the ambivalences that are normally associated with pregnancy.

General anesthesia, conscious sedation, or nothing: Decision-making by children during painful procedures.

Background: Following diagnosis, children with cancer suddenly find themselves in an unknown world where unfamiliar adults make all the important decisions. Children typically experience increasing levels of anxiety with repeated invasive procedures and do not adapt to the discomfort. The aim of the present study is to explore the possibility of asking children directly about their medical support preferences during invasive procedures.

Human papillomavirus types distribution in eastern Sicilian females with cervical lesions. A correlation with colposcopic and histological findings.

To determine human papillomavirus (HPV) types distribution in cervical lesions in a Southern Italian female population in Messina and their relationship between HPV type and grade of colposcopic and histopathological abnormality, a total of 253 women aged 17-68 years, with previous cytological abnormalities, were included in this study. HPV-DNA testing, colposcopy and biopsy were performed. For each sample, cervical cells were collected by centrifugation and DNA was extracted, followed by a PCR-based HPV-DNA assay and reverse dot blot genotyping.

Therapeutic options in osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a major and global public health concern. This disorder is characterized by a compromised bone strength and increased susceptibility to fractures, with important health and socioeconomic consequences. Age remains a cardinal, independent determinant of fracture risk; hence, the prevalence of osteoporotic fractures is expected to rise as the proportion of older populations increases worldwide.

Relationship between insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity and internalization in monocytes of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients.

Reduced insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity and internalization have been reported in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients. To clarify whether in NIDDM the defective internalization is caused by the defective kinase activity, we studied receptor tyrosine kinase activity and internalization in monocytes from eight lean control and six obese subjects and 10 obese NIDDM patients. Receptor internalization was also stimulated by an anti-insulin receptor antibody (MA-10) that is unable to stimulate receptor kinase activity.

Endocytosis, recycling, and degradation of the insulin receptor. Studies with monoclonal antireceptor antibodies that do not activate receptor kinase.

The endocytosis, recycling, and degradation of the insulin receptor were studied in IM-9 cells and U-937 cells by employing two monoclonal antibodies directed at the alpha subunit of the human insulin receptor, antibodies MA-5 and MA-10. Antibody MA-5 is an insulin agonist and MA-10 is an insulin antagonist (Forsayeth, J., Caro, J.

[Behavior of serum sialic acid levels at various stages of neoplastic disease].

Serum sialic acid levels were measured at two different stages of neoplasia (active and non-active phases). CEA levels were also assayed at the same time. 98 patients suffering from different neoplastic diseases and a group of healthy controls were studied.

The treatment of recurrent and metastatic cervical carcinoma. Evaluation of an antiblastic combination of methotrexate-adriamycin-bleomycin (MAB).

Thirty patients with local recurrent and/or distant metastatic cervical carcinoma were treated by combined chemotherapy with methotrexate, adriamycin and bleomycin (MAB). Among the 25 evaluable patients 1 CR (4%), 5 PR (20%), 9 SD (36%) and 10 PD (40%) were obtained. A high incidence of cardiotoxicity (20%) and alopecia (32%) was observed.

A study of endometrial adenocarcinoma treated with tamoxifen by scanning and transmission electron microscopy.

By scanning and transmission electron microscopy the Authors studied four cases of endometrial adenocarcinoma (stage I, G1) after 15-days treatment with Tamoxifen (20 mg X 2) before surgery. The ultrastructural findings, similar to those observed in untreated adenocarcinomas but quite different from those obtained in MAP-responsive cases - as other Authors reported too - seem to indicate an almost complete absence of secretory or cytotoxic induction at least as far as 15-days treatment is concerned. According to the Authors this study raises many doubts about the usefulness of a first-instance therapeutical protocol based on Tamoxifen alone.